My Own Worst Enemy
by xXCherry-PieXx
Summary: When Elphaba is visited by three unusual visitors in the middle of the night, they can offer her a life changing chance...But nothing ever seems to go right for the 'Wicked Witch of the West'. Fiyeraba.
1. No One Mourns the Wicked

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**I felt that the beginning of MOWE needed a rewrite, so here it is.**

**Chapter One**

Elphaba tossed and turned in the hard and lumpy bed that she had finally decided to inhabit. It was a in a little corner room, not much more than cupboard really. It was her own room; Fiyero didn't bother her when she was inside. She had cast a spell on it so that the walls were sound proof. Which was good, as if Fiyero heard what she was doing in there then he would probably get very angry in deed.

A strong wind blew outside the tiny, single window, rattling the glass. Elphaba shivered in her light sleep.

Her latest project, her only one really, was going to be a failure.

For the past few weeks, she had been going through the minimal amount of books that she had brought from Kiamo Ko before she and Fiyero had left. The books mostly concentrated on transformation spells. For that was her goal: to make Fiyero a human again.

However much he may have told Elphaba that he was perfectly happy as a Scarecrow, Elphaba could see the wistfulness in his eyes when he watched her eat or when she would just be doing odd jobs around their cottage. That wistfulness encouraged her to carry on hunting.

So far she had been unlucky in finding a spell strong enough to overpower a Grimmerie enchantment. She had been testing the spells on any unfortunate objects that she figured that Fiyero wouldn't mind her breaking but she gave up on that pretty soon. So she had started practicing on herself instead. If she didn't kill herself then, if he found out, Fiyero would do it for her.

Elphaba's eyebrows scrunched together before she wearily sat up. She had heard something.

"Yero?" she questioned the darkness. "Is that you?"

She didn't receive an answer and she used one hand to rub the sleep from her eyes. The other wandered to the little table next to the bed. Her fingers brushed against the wood for a few seconds before her mind caught up with her hand and she remember that her glasses were back in the lining of her hat. Which was still back in Kiamo Ko.

She and Fiyero had left with it but she had to return it. She couldn't bare the thought of leaving nothing there for Glinda should the blonde go back. Elphaba had completely forgotten then that she had kept the glasses in the tall lining of the black, pointy hat.

Her hand did come across a match and she quickly it a candle and looked around the room. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight.

Three figures stood silently beside her bed, each wearing a different expression. The smallest had a happy, slightly excited look to her face; the next had a fiercely protective expression and the last one had a bored look.

The thing that made Elphaba continue to stare at the figures, beside that fact that they were in the cottage without alerting Fiyero, was that they each possessed emerald toned skin.

Elphaba's mouth gaped a little before she gained control of it again. "Who...What...What are you?" Her tone was clipped and annoyed sounding. "How did you get in here? What do you want with me?"

The eldest, the one with the bored expression, let out a sigh. "Full of questions aren't we?"

Elphaba stood and walked to stand in front of the tallest one. "Well, how would you feel if you were woken up in the middle of the night to some sort of...hallucination?"

The young girl rolled her eyes but didn't answer. Elphaba glared at her for a moment before a tugging on the night dress caught her attention. She looked down to see a four or five year old version of herself clinging to the black fabric.

"We're not a hall...halluc...a made up thing!" she proclaimed. "We're you!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes at the girl's logic. "It's not normal to see yourself standing in front of you in the middle of the night."

The middle girl pulled the youngest back from Elphaba. The green woman took in the ten year old and cocked her head to the side.

"So, if I'm not dreaming, then what are you?" she asked, sitting back on her bed.

The youngest pulled her hand from the middle one's grasp. She tottered a little before regaining her balance. "We were sent to offer you a choice!" she exclaimed.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest. "What choice?"

"Oh, we can't tell you yet!" the small girl told her.

"Can we get this show on the road?" an impatient voice piped up. Elphaba looked over at the eldest incarnation of herself.

Glaring at the older girl, the smallest Elphaba placed a hand on the present Elphaba's arm.

Elphaba felt as if she was falling, being pulled involuntarily forwards. She was surrounded by darkness and one thought kept circling in her mind.

_Why is it _always _me?_


	2. Dear Old Shiz

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Thanks for the encouragement. (By the way, the chapter name may or may not have anything to do with the content of the chapter)**

**Chapter Two-Dear Old Shiz**

Elphaba finally managed to open her eyes. The first thing she saw that the wood flooring of the old room, the one in her father's house. She sat up slowly, cradling her head in one hand. She started to get up, and a small hand held her elbow, supporting her as she rose off the floor.

"Thanks," Elphaba muttered as she gazed down at what she was wearing. She let out a low groan when she saw that she was still wearing her nightdress.

The small hand yanked on hers and she gazed down at the young child standing at her side. The small green girl had an eager look on her face and started to pull Elphaba towards the bed. Elphaba noticed that the other two versions of her were nowhere to be seen.

The door on the opposite side of the room creaked open and a three year old entered the room, her hand rubbing under her eyes in tiredness.

"Do you remember this?" The apparition asked of the adult Elphaba.

She shrugged. "Not really, should I?"

"Just watch." She was commanded.

So she turned to watch. The small girl came and sat on the bed and pulled a book out form under her pillow. She flipped a few pages in and began to read. She had already taught herself to do so after Frex had told he would not teach her.

After a few minutes her head looked up, having heard the footsteps on the old stairs that led up to her attic room. She quickly glanced at the page number and slipped the thick tome back under the mattress.

The door swung open just has she hopped down off the bed. Her father appeared in the doorway, a small squeaking bundle held in the crook of his arm. He slammed the door again, causing Elphaba to jump. But she recovered quickly and walked quickly over, never taking her eyes off the bundle.

"_Papa? Is that-?_"

Frex cut her soft voice off. "_This is your sister, Nessarose. Here look at her._" He beckoned her over with sharp hand movements. She ran the rest of the way over and, for the first time that she could recall, he picked her up.

In his arms, she had a clear view of the baby. She could see that something was wrong with her legs and Elphaba reached out a small finger to touch them. Frex swatted away her hand and she held it closer to her body, her eyes still locked on her younger sister.

"_You see this, Elphaba?_" Frex questioned. She nodded. "_This is your fault."_

Older Elphaba turned her head away from the scene, her mind filling in the blanks. Frex would tell her that it was her fault because she was green and that her mother was dean and it was _all her fault_.

"I've seen enough," She whispered, tears settling themselves in the corners of her eyes. She believed what Glinda had told her: that it wasn't her fault. But she had lived thinking that it was for the majority of her life and that was hard to stop thinking that way.

The apparition's hand held hers and she swung her short legs. "OK. Well, then I guess we should move on then?"

Suddenly, there was another flash of light and the toddler was replaced by the ten year old version of Elphaba.

This time older Elphaba stayed awake and she saw herself, her younger, memory self sitting alone in a classroom. She had a fierce expression on her face and she glared at anyone who might even look like they were going to sit next to her. The only reason they would would be to tease her and try to get her to let some of her tears spill over.

So she sat alone. She looked down at her desk as the teacher walked into the shabby room. Frex had only agreed to send his eldest daughter to school if it was free. So the room was practically a shack and most of the desks and chairs were wobbly. But it was worth it to Elphaba.

Elphaba was bullied mercilessly. She never let them see the tears and she had built walls in her mind to block out the mean stinging comments.

As the teacher droned on, she started to hear the whispering coming from behind her seat in the front row.

_Frog._

_Isn't she horrible? Like a cabbage, I heard that's how her father described her._

_Why did she have to come here? Her father is the Governor of Munchkinland for heavens sake! _

And so they continued. She managed to make it through the first two lessens without so much as turning around. It was when she went outside at the short break the children were given that things went wrong.

"_Hey!"_ One of the older boys spotted Elphaba reading one of her books, her glasses perched on the end of her nose. He came over and grabbed the book.

Elphaba jumped up off the patch of grass she had been sitting on. _"Give that back! It's mine!"_

The boy's friends threw the book to one another, playing what they dubbed, 'Froggy in the Middle'. One even managed to grab Elphaba's glasses off her face as she passed him. She grabbed them back soon after but when she was turning around to carry on trying to get her book back, she heard a splash. She looked over to where she had heard it and the group started laughing.

The book had been dropped in a puddle. Elphaba quickly picked it up but the damage was done. The book was ruined.

"_Oops."_ The head bully sneered. _"Oh, well, Vegetable, your Daddy can buy you another one." _

Elphaba didn't react.

"_Oh no he can't, can he? He doesn't like you; he likes that cripple of a sister of yours. Doesn't he? No one likes you. No one!"_

Elphaba's fury spilled over when he mentioned Nessarose and when he had finished speaking he was thrown about ten feet away from the small shaking girl. The others looked at her, their friend and then each other before running.

"_Witch!"_ One of them called over his shoulder.

They left her alone after that.

**Reviews inspire updates! (If there's any confusion over which Elphaba is which, don't worry there should only be one more chapter with more than the usual amount of Elphies.)**


	3. The Wizard and I

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! Virtual flowers are being thrown your way!**

**Chapter 3-The Wizard and I**

Adult Elphaba continued to stare at the frightened face of the past version of herself. She could remember the terror she had felt that day, after her powers had immerged for the first time in public. She had hoped that no ne would tell Frex and she got her wish. For once.

She turned her head away and came face to face with the teenage version of herself. This apparition was the same height as her, as she had already had her growth spurt.

"Show me what you must," She deadpanned to the smirking girl.

She shrugged. "I'm not to show you anything." The elder of the two's head shot up from where she had been staring at the ground.

"What?" She questioned.

Another shrug and the smirk got wider. "You heard me. I am not going to take you on a trip down memory lane. I am to give you a choice."

Elphaba was intrigued but still skeptical, as was her way. "A choice of what?"

All she got was a long green finger shook at her. "Now, now give me a chance. Which would you rather: have your reputation as the Wicked Witch of the West be done away with _or _be...degreenified."

Elphaba's mouth quite literally dropped open. This was something that she had wanted since...since before she could remember. To have either would be...a miracle. But a hint of doubt kept into her head. "No one has the power to do that. I've looked through the Grimmerie, time and time again and I have been unable to find anything of the sort." She started to pace, her boots clomping against the hard dirt. "So why should I believe that _you _have the power?"

"What happened to: I only trust myself? Hmm?" Her younger self taunted her. Elphaba stopped pacing and turned to face the girl. She was surprised to see that she could see straight though her. The girl's tone softened. "You don't have much time. Which will it be?"

Elphaba started her pacing again. Even if this turned out to be some sort of an elaborate dream conjured up by her subconscious then why not? If things went wrong then, she would wake up. And if this wasn't a dream, then it would turn her life around.

She stopped pacing and when she faced the...ghost again, all she could see was the head and torso, floating in mid air. "I choose to be...degreenified," She said, her voice shaking slightly.

She didn't quite know how she got to the conclusion of what she wanted, but this was the one thing that she had wanted all her life. To be normal, just like everyone else.

The spirit drifted towards her, one green hand raised. "Brace yourself," she murmured as she gripped the elder's forearm in a tight grip.

There was the sensation of her skin being ripped off, her outer layer ripped off like you would an onion. She suppressed a scream of agony and the feeling changed. Now she felt as if she was spinning. The pain subsided and she felt her self fall. As soon as there was solid ground beneath her feet, she fainted.

*

In one of Glinda's private rooms there was a figure huddled over a dressing table, shoulder's shaking. Glinda had returned from another party to 'celebrate' the death of the Wicked Witch and she just didn't think she could take anymore.

She had lost her best friend and her ex-fiancé all in the space of a few days. And even three weeks later, she was still deeply in grieving for the green woman and the man she had loved. The serving staff all thought that she was up here crying for Fiyero, still presumed missing, but no suspected that she could be mourning the death of the Witch as well. None of them knew the story for she had made no attempt to clear Elphaba's name, as promised.

_Why, Elphie? _She thought as the tears landed on her arms. _Why couldn't clear your name for you?_

So here she sat, sobbing into her arms and only looking up when there came a knock at the door. She sat up, quickly wiping under her eyes with a handkerchief. She stood and swished her way to the door, an annoyed expression on her face.

"I thought I told you I wasn't to be disturbed?" She snapped when she opened the door to see the frightened face of one of the maids.

She curtsied wobbly, for she was new and still slightly in awe of the great Lady Glinda the Good. "You did, Miss, but there is an important...emergency."

The girl wavered off and looked up from the floor into the irritated face of her employer. "Well, what is this 'emergency'?" Glinda asked, sounding slightly like Elphaba.

The girl shuffled her feet. "The woman wouldn't say anything other than to...to tell you that...Elphie is here."

*

Elphaba sat up and rubbed where her head had hit a rock when she fainted. She stood shakily testing out her limbs and looked around at her surroundings.

She was deep in a forest, the clearing she was standing in seeming to be the only place graced with the light from the sun. She peered into the darkness, trying to see something, anything that might reveal where she was.

She looked up, trying to see where the sun was. She had no idea whether it was morning or afternoon, but if she had to guess she would say it was morning. There was still a slight chill in the air and the sun wasn't very high. So that would mean that where the sun was, that was the east. If she headed in that direction then she would come across a sign for the Emerald City and once there she could find her way back to Fiyero.

So she set off, not taking any notice of the sharp stones digging into her bare feet. Her nightdress kept getting caught on twigs and the hem was destroyed beyond repair.

A few hours later and she was finally out of the forest. She could near jump for joy but she contained herself.

Elphaba reached out to pull one last branch out of the way and she spotted her hand. So far on her journey she had been concentrating on getting of the dense woods but now she glanced at her skin. And..._it wasn't green!_

She screamed a pure shriek of happiness and jumped around. When she had calmed down a little, she looked the rest of her skin over. There was no green, except for a little emerald flower on her right ankle. It looked like a perfect miniature green rose, its petals spread over her bone.

Once she was certain that this was the only unusual colour left on her body, she set off once more. She had to guess her way, as the sun had set by now, and she was becoming exhausted.

But Elphaba finally came across the Yellow Brick Road. She breathed a tired sigh of relief and starting walking down it. She was unaware that there were bloody footprints being left behind her after the small rocks had pierced her skin. But Elphaba's feet had turned numb an hour back.

She walked down the yellow road until the sun was back high in the sky. It was around midday the next day that, when she looked up from watching her feet in a trance like state, she saw the Emerald City. She smiled a weak smile and sped up her walking.

She stumbled and tripped, but eventually she managed to keep round to the unused entrance to the gleaming city.

Elphaba made her way to the Emerald Palace in what most of the city's inhabitants thought was a drunken gait.

Elphaba warily looked up at the highest attic tower where she had left her old life behind. She looked back down again and heaved the huge door knocked up and let it fall. The crash was heard and the door was answered.

"Who are you?" The man asked sharply, taking in her bedraggled state of dress.

"I need...need to see...Glinda...it is...of great...importance..." she managed to slur. The lack of food and water was starting to take its affect.

The man raised an eyebrow. "And what is this emergency?"

Elphaba stepped inside the doorframe and braced her body against it. She lent in close to the doorman. "Tell...her...that Elphie...is here...to see...her..."

And with that she slumped to the floor, her legs unable to support her body any longer. Once she was on the floor she lost the fight with her eyelids and they slid shut.

**Did anyone think I made a bad decision with the degreenifying thing? Too...cliché? Oh, well I've done it now. Constructive criticism welcome! Review!**

**Cherry x**


	4. What is this Feeling?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! Virtual edibles of your choice are being sent!**

**Chapter 4-What is this Feeling?**

The shocked guard sent off a messenger to Glinda and scooped the unconscious woman in his arms. He swiftly carried her to the infirmary, a large room not far from the door where Elphaba had arrived.

He kicked the door in with the heel of his boot, causing it to slam against the wall. The woman in his arms jerked and he kept a tighter grip on her. He walled quickly across the white tiled floor, his boots making a rather loud noise.

Once he had laid Elphaba on a bed he called out for the nurse. "Evella!"

A short woman dressed in white bustled out from behind a screen, muttering to herself. "Guards, they're all big babies. Can't live with trapping a finger in the door before they come running – oh my!"

She had spotted Elphaba's still form laid on the bed. She hurried over and pressed the back of one hand on Elphaba's forehead. She tisked and carried on checking Elphaba for injuries. She spotted the girl's feet and set about bandaging them. Evella could hear the girl's laboured breathing and went to fetch a pitcher of water.

The guard had already left the infirmary with no clue that he had just left Oz's most wanted criminal behind.

Meanwhile, in Elphaba's dehydrated mind her thoughts went into overdrive. The monsters of her childhood nightmares returned in flashes and her more recent nightmares replayed in front of her eyes.

_A cold tower, rain pelting the walls and windows...Being trapped, not able to escape...Fiyero, dead, eyes staring at nothing..._

_Running, forever running, never getting anywhere...Animals bodies strewn around, screams in the distance...Glinda, dead, eyes staring at nothing..._

_Frex, locking her out of the house and Melena telling her she was worthless...A wall of dark water coming towards her and engulfing her, drowning her...Nessarose, dead, eyes staring at nothing... _

_Boq, dead, eyes staring at nothing...Doctor Dillamond, dead, eyes staring at nothing...Frex and Melena, dead, eyes staring at nothing..._

_They were all around her and she knew that she had somehow caused their deaths...and then she turned and there she was...Elphaba, dead, eyes staring at nothing..._

Elphaba sat up, a deafening scream ripping it's self from her throat. It was the bloodcurdling scream that Glinda heard from down the corridor. She started running.

She still didn't, couldn't, believe that her best friend could be alive. She had seen her die with her own eyes. But when she heard that scream, something in her kicked into overdrive. And so she lifted the hem of her dress of the floor and ran.

Elphaba slumped back against the pillows, coughing. Evella came out with the water and walked briskly over to her new patient.

The girl who lay on the bed was slim, almost thin, with raven black hair. Her skin was pale and the black hair made it seem even more so. Her features looked familiar, but she couldn't place it.

Evella had noticed the strange tattoo on the girl's ankle but had thought nothing of it so she wrapped the bandage over it.

She brushed away a lock of dark hair from Elphaba's face and poured some of the water in the glass next to the bed. She coaxed Elphaba into a sitting position and placed the glass against her lips. "Come on, child, you need to drink," she murmured.

Elphaba opened her mouth a little and allowed a trickle of liquid to leak into her mouth. She swallowed and then her hands reached up and held the sides of the tall glass. She gulped down the rest of the drink and she heard the wooden door to the infirmary open but didn't open her eyes.

Glinda hurriedly looked around the room for any sign of her green friend but was disappointed when she could find none. Her eyes finally rested on the room's only occupant.

Glinda took in the woman and noticed that the black hair was very like Elphaba's but that the girl couldn't be Elphie. She wasn't green.

Glinda turned to leave the room when an elated voice called out, "Glinda!"

She turned slowly, recognising the voice and found that she was looking into a pair of chocolate brown eyes. The eyes were brimming with tears and yet looked ecstatic at the same time. They were Elphie's eyes.

She had last seen them three weeks ago when they had said their sad farewells. She had accepted that she would never see them again, but here they were implanted into this strange woman's face.

The raspy voice continued. "Glinda, it's me, it's really me!"

Glinda strode across the room, her skirt swishing across the floor. She pointed a finger at the girl and said in a harsh voice, "I don't know who you are, but you are not my Elphie!"

And with that she left the room.

*

Elphaba sat in shock for about two seconds before sliding out bed, ignoring the nurses protests and stomped after the blonde. She didn't care about the pain stomping caused her feet or that the tears were trailing down her face. She wanted to talk to Glinda.

"Glinda, you wait, Glinda! Honestly, I'm not going to turn you into a toad! Glinda!"

She finally caught up to the shorter girl and grabbed her arm. "Let go of me!" Glinda cried trying to pry Elphaba's fingers from her arm.

"Not until you listen to me, Glinda," Elphaba rasped. She was still in need of a lot more water.

Glinda stared hardly at the taller woman. She nodded once, allowing Elphaba to speak.

"It is really me," she began. "I really am not green anymore. I don't how, Sweet Lurline, I don't even know who! All I know is that I'm normal, I can fit in and I'll understand if you don't forgive me for lying to you, but honestly, Glinda, did you really believe that I could be _melted_?" Elphaba let out a short bark of a laugh. "I expected it form the rest of Oz, the Unnamed God only knows how stupid they are, but from you? I thought you would know that I'm a normal person by now." Another laugh. "Also that I'm not a vegetable."

Elphaba's attempt to lighten the mood seemed to go straight over Glinda's head.

"Remember, at Shiz, in History? 'I guess the artichoke is steamed'?" Elphaba did a poor expression of Glinda's high pitched voice.

Glinda narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

Elphaba was taken aback. "It's me, Elpha-"

"Stop it!" Glinda shouted shrilly. "I don't know who you are, but you are not my best friend. I don't even know how you found out her name. But let her rest in peace and stop bothering me!"

Glinda turned on her heel, for Elphaba had released her hold on her arm, and stormed down the hallway and around the corner.

*

Evella came out into the corridor and gently led Elphaba back into the infirmary. Elphaba let herself be led for she was still a little shocked by Glinda's reaction. She had expected disbelief but for Glinda to blow up in her face was a surprise to say the least.

She sat back down on the bed and accepted the glass handed to her by Evella. She drank some of it and Evella shuffled back behind the screen leaving Elphaba with stern instructions not to move.

Elphaba, being Elphaba, ignored these instructions once an idea came to her. She opened the door trying to keep it from creaking, as old doors tend to do. Once she closed it as softly she could, she let out a sigh of relief.

She walked down the carpeted hallway, her footsteps not making a sound. She was almost glad that she had lost her boots in the wood as they would have made much more noise. Almost.

Elphaba was trying to remember the floor plan of the Emerald Palace that she had in her and Fiyero's new home. She couldn't wait to get back to Fiyero, to even write a letter letting him know where she was. He would be worried sick.

She found the room she was looking for. She opened the door to the unused Wizard's throne room. She closed it again.

She glanced around the room and there, sitting on a raised pedestal, was the Grimmerie. She rushed over to it and lifted it up.

She held close to her chest for one moment before quickly racing from the room. Now she just had to find Glinda's rooms.

She ran down corridors and around corners desperate for the chance to prove who she was to her old best friend.

Finally Elphaba came across a pink door. She pushed it open and disrupted Glinda as she wrote a letter to some important person or another. "What...?" Glinda exclaimed as Elphaba came into the room. Glinda stood and walked out from behind the desk at which she had been sitting at.

Elphaba quickly looked around the room from something suitable for what she was planning. She saw a fancy chair and grabbed it with one hand. Glinda spotted what was in the other.

"Why – You've been in the throne room – the Grimmerie!" Glinda continued to splutter but Elphaba ignored her.

She knelt in front of the chair, letting her long hair fall over her shoulders. She flipped to the correct page in the Grimmerie and started chanting.

"AHVEN, TATEY, AVEN TATEY AVEN AH MAY AH TAY ATUM AH MAY AH TAH TAY MAY TU SE SAY TA!"

Glinda started to panic as Elphaba repeated the chanting. "You won't be able to read it right, you'll hurt yourself! Please stop!"

Elphaba ignored the blonde as she finished the spell. She looked up and let her arms drop from when she had been waving them other the chair to channel her power to the desired object.

She stood up and sat herself on the chair. Then she felt her feet lift off the ground as the chair recognised its creator and started to float.

"No offense," Elphaba addressed the chair as Glinda's mouth gaped open. "But I prefer my broom."

Elphaba felt the chair raise and lower itself a little in indignation. "Sorry," Elphaba told it matter-of-factly. "But it's true."

"You-you-just..." Glinda stammered but this time in disbelief.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Glinda, dear, I do believe that you were there the last time I performed this particular spell. In fact you've been here every single time."

"Elphie?" Glinda's voice shook slightly.

Elphaba commanded the chair back down again and stood off it. "It really is me, Glinda," she said softly.

Glinda's tears overflowed and she rushed across the room and wrapped her arms around her best friend. Elphaba gently wrapped her arms around the blonde shaking shoulders. She had tears of her own making their trails down her face.

Glinda sobbed on Elphaba's shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you, Elphie." She hiccupped out.

Elphaba sniffed. "I don't blame you, Glin. I wouldn't have believed it myself, had I not witnessed it and lived through it."

Glinda giggled shakily. "It _is _a little unbelievable. I mean, how could you be...not green?"

Glinda pulled away from their hug and looked at Elphaba's skin. She couldn't believe it. Without the emerald tone in the way, Elphaba's beauty could really shine through. Not that she hadn't always been beautiful, but Elphaba had never believed so now that the green that she called ugly and disgusting was missing from her skin. And now, no one would suspect that she was the Wicked Witch of the West and her inner beauty could make itself known as well.

Elphaba balanced on one foot as she pulled the bandage down a little on one foot to reveal her green flower. "This is the only green left." She shrugged once she had stood properly again.

Glinda took in the little rose before Elphaba hid it with the bandage again. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you."

They stood in silence again for a moment before Glinda's fashion sense took over. "Look at what you're dressed in!"

Elphaba looked down at herself and noticed that her shredded black nightdress was still her clothing. "What about it?"

Glinda raised an eyebrow of her own. "You really haven't changed have you?"

Elphaba's only reaction was to shrug.

Glinda started to lead her friend to the closet on the other side of the room, when the door burst open.

Elphaba and Glinda turned to stare at the figure in the doorway. They both stated who it was a the same time, one elated and the other unbelieving.

"Fiyero?"

"Fiyero!"

**You like? You hate? You want to leave a review? Fine by me, go ahead!**

**Edit: Thanks to Leia Emberblaze for pointing out that I accidently made it sound like Elphaba was ugly with the green skin. What I meant was that nobody could see her beauty passed the colour of her skin, and without it everyone, including Elphaba herself could see how prettiful she really is, inside and outside.**


	5. Something Bad

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**Wow! Thanks for the reviews everybody! **

**Just to clear a few things up:**

**Elphaba chose to be degreenified because otherwise she would still get "Ah! She's green!" comments and she would generally get angry at a lot of people and we know what happens when Elphie get's angry.**

**I've made an adjustment to the last chapter. Something came out not how I wanted it to. I accidently made it sound as if the green made Elphaba ugly, so I thank Leia Emberblaze for pointing that out! I left an EDIT not at the bottom of the last chapter. (Personally I prefer Elphaba as being green, but what can you do when the plot takes over?)**

**Also I have added some book elements into all the chapters, because I can't help myself.**

**Sorry for the super long AN but I just needed to say that. On with the chapter:**

**Chapter Five-Something Bad**

The first exclamation came from Elphaba, who quickly ran and wrapped her arms around Fiyero's neck and placed a kiss on his cheek. She normally wouldn't have been quite so exuberant but she felt as if she hadn't seen him for a year with everything that had gone on and so she felt entitled.

Glinda on the other hand, was confused. This was the Scarecrow standing in her doorway, not Fiyero. She watched as Elphaba embraced the also confused Scarecrow and shrugged her shoulders at his confused glance in her direction.

"Elphaba, I know you've been through a lot, and spells tend to take lots of energy, but surely you can see that this is _Scarecrow_ and not...Fiyero." Glinda's voice cracked a little at having to say the name.

Fiyero looked down at the person holding on to him, and now that he looked closely, it was indeed Elphaba. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lent down to whisper in her ear. "I take it that you haven't yet explained to Glinda?"

Elphaba lent away from his embrace and scowled good-naturedly. "Oh, yes thanks for noticing that I am now a normal colour and yes, I would love to tell you of how it came to pass."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "OK, sorry, no need for the sarcasm. I was just thinking-"

Elphaba cut him off. "Don't hurt yourself."

Glinda interrupted their exchange. "Sorry to interrupt, but, Elphaba, are you and Scarecrow in some sort of secret relationship? Because you could have told me."

Elphaba laughed, very nearly cackling. "Glinda, I would like you to meet...Fiyero. I do believe you've met before." She chuckled at the look Glinda was giving her which was clearly questioning her sanity.

Glinda cast a quick glance at the Scarecrow and noticed, not for the first time, that his eyes did seem familiar. They were a deep azure blue and even though they were painted on, they seem to dance.

It was looking at his eyes properly that convinced her that Fiyero really was standing in front of her. She rushed to him and wrapped her own arms around her waist, as she wasn't tall enough to cling to his neck. "Fiyero! You're alive!"

Tears ran down her face again and soaked though his shirt. Then Glinda stepped back, an annoyed expression on her face.

"You two," she pointed from Elphaba to Fiyero, "have a lot of explaining to do."

Elphaba threw her hands up in mock exasperation. "Oh, right you believe that he's who he his without too much trouble, but I have to make a chair levitate?"

Glinda shuffled her feet a little but then wiped the guilty look off her face when she noticed that Elphaba was joking. "That is beside the point. _You _pretended to be _dead_!"

Elphaba covered her eyes at Glinda's screech as Glinda had been advancing on her. So in favour of keeping her eye drums in tact, she covered them with her hands. "So did Fiyero!"

Elphaba and Glinda started to have a stare down. Glinda was looking up at Elphaba and Elphaba returned the stare, one eyebrow raised.

"If I may interrupt...?" Fiyero advanced on the two girls.

"No!" They said at the same time. The looked at each other and then bust out laughing.

Glinda controlled her giggles. "OK, but you still let me grieve for you. Do you know how hard that was?"

Elphaba was serious again and placed a hand on Glinda's shoulder. "I know, it was hard for me too. But it had to be done. We, Fiyero and I, thought it best. Otherwise you would have spent the rest of your life trying to find us. We wanted you to be the best for Oz and that was the only way we could think of. Please, Glinda, try to understand."

Glinda's expression softened. "I do understand. I don't forgive you for it yet, but I understand now."

"That's all I wanted." Elphaba let her hand fall as Fiyero took a step towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"So..." He started.

Elphaba glanced up. "So?" She questioned.

"How did...this happen?" He gestured to her now greenless hand.

She shrugged. "Long story."

"We have time." He pointed out.

She sighed and Glinda invited them to sit on the pink sofa. They did so and Elphaba told her tale. Of the apparitions, the memories, the choice. She was questioned on the decision and she explained it.

"Well, if I lost the title of the Wicked Witch of the West, then the Wizard might still be in power and the Animals would be no better off. And I would still be green. People would still stare and whisper as I passed them in the street. So I chose this, I won't recognised because, let's face it, not many people really looked close enough at me to be able to recognise me."

She carried on with the story, explaining about her trip through the woods and how she found the Yellow Brick Road. Elphaba then told them of how she got to the city and when she woke up in the infirmary. Then, for Fiyero's benefit, she told him of her exchanges with Glinda, and the latter adding her own comments now and again. Then she showed him her green flower which, probably proving that Elphaba was paranoid, seemed to bigger to her, like it had bloomed a little further since she had seen it last. She didn't voice her thoughts though.

Once the story was finished, the room's inhabitants sat in silence for a few minutes while they each processed what they had been told, or in Elphaba's case, processed what had happened to her.

There came a knock on the door and Glinda jumped up to answer it. "One minute!" She called to whoever was out there. She ushered Elphaba and Fiyero into the add on room that doubled as a closet. She then quickly wiped her face to remove the lines of mascara that had run down her face when she had cried.

"Yes?" She asked when she opened the door.

The guardsmen there pushed the door open further and one pushed Glinda out of the way. "Sorry, Miss Glinda, but we have reason to believe that there is a wanted criminal hiding in your room."

The rest of the guards ran into the room and started searching. "Excuse me," Glinda spluttered.

"Found her!" One of the guards called out. He pulled Elphaba out of the closet and when Glinda looked at her, she was flicking between being normal coloured and green. Elphaba had a furious look on her face and it worsened to livid when the guards pulled out Fiyero with her. She stopped flickering. And she was green.

"Let go of us, you brutes!" Her screech might just have deafened the man holding on to her.

The first guard pulled out a scroll and started reading. "Wicked Witch of the West-"

Elphaba cut him off. "I have a name!"

Another guard rushed to hold her other flailing arm and placed a gloved hand over her mouth.

The first guard continued. "You have been charged with treason of the highest extent and so are charged with life time imprisonment until a final decision can be reached. Scarecrow, you are charged with assisting a fugitive and so also have life time imprisonment until a final decision can be made. Take them away."

He turned to leave the room and Glinda had stood in shock for a moment before she shouted, "STOP!"

Everybody froze, even Elphaba stopped her struggling to stare at her best friend. Two guards had also grabbed Fiyero by the arms, the same way that Elphaba was being held.

Glinda stomped up to the first guard. "Who ordered this?"

"It was one of the Press Secretary's last orders before she disappeared."

Glinda was inwardly kicking herself. She hadn't made it public that Morrible had been thrown in jail, only a select few palace guards knew of the fact that she was in Southstairs. So most of Oz, and the rest of the Palace guards, believed her to be missing.

"Give me one minute with the fugitives, will you? I want to question them."

The guard looked shock for a moment before nodding and telling the rest of the guards to get out. He told Glinda that they would be right outside the door if anything should go wrong.

Once the door was closed, Glinda rushed over to her friends. She quickly hugged them both. "I'm so sorry that this has happened. This is all my fault."

Elphaba and Glinda both had tears running down their faces as they embraced. And even Fiyero had tears in his eyes.

"Who could have told the guards that we where here, that's what I don't understand," Fiyero pointed out.

Elphaba's face hardened. "Evella. That crone must have figured out who I was and alerted the guards."

"Couldn't you just, you know, cast a spell on something and escape, like with the broom?" Glinda asked hopefully.

Elphaba shook her head. "No. I'm too tired out after everything to be able to do the spell without passing out and then it would be useless as I'm the only person to be able to control what I've cast the spell on."

Glinda nodded sadly and gave both of them one last embrace. "I will get you out of there, I promise. I do promise."

And then the door was opened again and Elphaba and Fiyero were dragged away. They were taken to the Palace dungeons because Southstairs would take too long to get to and back from for trials.

They threw Elphaba and Fiyero in two separate cells, close enough to talk to each other, but not to touch. Their fingertips nearly brushed each other, if they both slipped their arms threw the bars up to their shoulders.

Elphaba had wiped her face when the guards had roughly pulled her down the corridors and then snapped the handcuffs on to her wrists. Now they had taken them off again and she let the tears flow freely.

Fiyero was shocked to see his beloved cry so freely; she would normally put on a brave face. But now the tears fell like waterfalls down her cheeks.

"Elphaba, please don't cry love, please," he begged her.

She shuffled to the edge of her cell, the closest she could get to Fiyero. Her voice came out as a whisper. "I let myself hope. I was too stupid to stop myself. And now...now it hurts so much Fiyero. It hurts. I let myself hope that I could be normal, that I could be liked by people. And now look," she held out her arm, her now green again arm. "I'm just the freak again. As if anything in my life could go right. I mean I tried to save you and look what happened! Everyone I love gets hurt! Nessa, Doctor Dillamond, Boq, that Lion cub, you, Glinda...my mother. She was the first person I killed. Then father, he died of shame. 'Embarrassed to death', that's what Nessa said. And Nessa...She died hating me.

"I ruined Boq's life by trying to save him. And Doctor Dillamond believed in me, and look what that got him. He can't speak! That Lion we saved is now a coward, afraid of everything just because we wanted to help him. Glinda has been hurt by me too many times to count. And you, Fiyero, look what happened to you. You're a scarecrow. I _should_ be locked away."

Elphaba had wrapped her arms around her knees which she had drawn up to her chest. Fiyero wished that he could place his arms around her and wipe away her tears.

"Elphaba you are a magical person. And not in the way that you think you are. You want to help people, save them and make their lives better. You-"

"Leave me alone, Fiyero. Please." Elphaba's voice was devoid of emotion.

She was a shell of her former self. For the first time in her life she had truly hoped for the better. Even when she had met the Wizard, when she was still young and naive but she knew enough to know that the Wizard might reject her. And so she didn't hope. She had never really let herself hope. And now she realised why her subconscious would never allow her to, it hurt so much to have her hopes dashed.

And so she retreated into herself and was determined not to come out again.

**So I feel horrible for doing that to Elphaba. Really I do. Feel free to virtually pelt me with fruit. But those who review will receive virtually baked goods of their choice. *Hint hint***

**Cherry x**

**PS, if you are a Supernatural fan, check out my profile for the poll about Which Winchester is your favourite. **


	6. Dancing Through Life

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! Anyone who can find the Hunchback of Notre Dame quote in here is very good at finding quotes. Warning: the end of this chapter is quite dark. Death is involved. Read with caution.**

**Chapter Six-Dancing Through Life**

At the first chance she got, a few days after Elphaba and Fiyero were captured, Glinda went to visit her friends who were still being held in the Palace dungeons.

She practically ran down the stone stairs, her heels clicking ominously. Glinda had told the guard on duty not to come down from his post no matter what. She wanted to talk to Elphaba and Fiyero in peace.

She could see Fiyero easily enough. He was sitting quite near to the torch, even with his aversion to fire. His eyes bore into the cell across from his, one of the ones in shadow. Glinda squinted into the darkness and saw a figure that could only have been Elphaba.

"She's getting worse."

Glinda looked at Fiyero questioningly. He returned the stare, a deep sadness in his eyes. "Worse?" Glinda whispered.

Fiyero gestured to Elphaba uselessly and sighed. "Ever since we were locked up down here, she's been retreating into herself. I can barely convince her to eat and drink enough to keep her alive. She's a...shell."

Glinda unhooked the keys from the hook on the wall and advanced on Elphaba's cell. She unlocked the door and let it crash open. Glinda and Fiyero winced at the sound, but Elphaba didn't react.

She was sat in the corner of the cell, as far away from the light as she could get. Her eyes glanced up as Glinda crouched in front of her. Her eyes were emotionless as Glinda placed a comforting hand on her green arm. Elphaba shrugged it off.

"Elphie...I'm _so _sorry. This wasn't meant to happen." Elphaba didn't react to her words.

Glinda stood slowly and walked back out of the cell. She opened Fiyero's and he immediately went to embrace Elphaba. Still she didn't react.

Glinda went and sat on the unused wooden plank that was meant to be a bed. "Why do think that the green returned?" She aired her query not expecting to get an answer.

"My magic may have displaced the magic causing me to lose the green. It's all because I couldn't control my temper."

Both Fiyero and Glinda were shocked to hear Elphaba's voice. Their heads whipped around to look at her. Her face still had no emotion, but her eyes were back to normal.

Fiyero recovered from his shock faster than Glinda. "Why do you think that?"

Elphaba turned to face him. And then she directed her answer at Glinda. "Remember that flower I showed you? On my ankle?" Glinda nodded. "After I cast that levitation spell, I thought it had gotten bigger. I think it would have gotten bigger every time I performed some magic until I was fully green again. So I just brought it on early."

Elphaba relaxed into Fiyero's arms and the grin on his face couldn't have been wider.

Glinda's eyebrows pulled together. "But who took away the green in the first place?"

Elphaba shrugged her shoulders, blank expression starting to fade now that she had Fiyero with her. "I don't know."

Oz

"Oh, you'll know who I am. I swear it!" The figure stormed around the stone room, still fuming. She had been watching the proceedings in a crystal ball.

"I was meant to be the greatest ever known sorceress, not you!" She screeched. "So you'll get what's coming to you, Elphaba Thropp."

Oz

"Let's not concentrate on that right now. Let's figure out how we're going to get out of here first." Fiyero suggested.

Elphaba stood suddenly. She stretched and then froze. "Fabala-"

She silenced Fiyero with a quick hand movement. Then she ushered him and Glinda out of her cell, grabbed one of the metal bars that made up the door and pulled it shut with a loud slam.

Glinda and Fiyero stared at her in shock. "Fiyero get back in the cell, Glinda put the keys back and, for Lurline's sake, act normal." They didn't move. "Now would be a good time to do as I asked."

They hurried into action and not seconds after they had gotten themselves back into the way the rest of Oz would expect them to be, a group of uniformed men came down the stairs. They rushed to Elphaba's cage and one of them opened the door, and three more of them dragged her out throwing her to the floor once she was passed the threshold.

She glared up at them through her hair which had fallen over her shoulders when she had hit the ground. She looked weak, Glinda thought, only dressed in her ripped nightgown.

Glinda could only watch as they pulled Fiyero out as well and he too was flung to the floor. Elphaba and Fiyero clung to each other as they were forced to their feet. The guards separated them and the sound of handcuffs closing was deafening. The handcuffs were more like manacles and Elphaba stared helplessly down at them.

"What do you think you are doing?" Glinda said sharply rushing forward.

"We have orders to bring the prisoners to the courtyard," One of the men answered.

Glinda glared at them for a minute and then took in Fiyero and Elphaba's joint look of horror. Then it dawned on Glinda too. "But...that's were executions-" But she couldn't finish the sentence.

"Exactly." Elphaba muttered.

"Quiet Witch!" One of the guards said and then slapped Elphaba across the face. She fell to the floor again. When she shakily stood again there was a dark mark were the man's hand had made contact with her face.

Then the guards grabbed the pair started leading them away. Glinda followed, trying to come up with a reason to stop whatever they were going to do to her friends but she couldn't think of anything.

Once they were out in the courtyard, the sun nearly blinded Elphaba. She looked down at the ground, at her bare feet. She had taken the bandages off a few hours after being thrown into the cell.

In the centre of the walled courtyard, two wooden poles were sticking out of the ground, more wood piled around the bases of the poles. They were to be burned then.

Elphaba then looked over at Fiyero who was staring back at her. "I love you," she mouthed.

"I love you too," he mouthed back.

She lifted her head high, she was going to go down fighting. That is, if she had to. Elphaba wasn't planning on dying today, not if she could help it.

The high walls of the courtyard stopped any of the civilians of the Emerald City to see anything other than the smoke coming from the pyres.

Elphaba was led to one of the poles and tied to it with her arms behind her. Fiyero matched her on the other pole. The sentence was read out and their crimes. Then the guards went to light the wood at the bottom of the pyres.

Elphaba thought of every bad thing that had ever happened to her in her life and, instead of becoming sad about it, she got angry. She let the fury build up inside of her until she was ready to burst. Then she concentrated on getting Fiyero and herself out of there.

"Goodbye Glinda!" She called to her weeping best friend. Then after winking in her shocked friend's direction she let out a scream of fury.

There was a cloud of smoke and once it had cleared, the fugitives were nowhere to be seen.

Elphaba and Fiyero landed with a crash outside of the house they had been staying in just over the Oz border. Elphaba rolled over and landed on Fiyero's chest. He stood, scooping her up in his arms and they both started laughing.

"I will never cease to be amazed by you, my Fae." Fiyero didn't place Elphaba back on the ground until they were in their cottage. Even then he only placed her on the sofa.

The cottage they had found abandoned just outside the Oz border in the west. It had two stories and was a good size. The roof was thatched and the wall were white.

He plopped himself down next to her, his arm around her shoulders. Elphaba snuggled closer to his straw body and let out a sigh of contentment. And then an annoying thought wiggled it's way into her brain.

"Fiyero?" She asked, her voice quiet.

He looked down to see her eyebrows pulled together and a worried expression in her eyes. "Yes, Elphaba?"

She glanced up at him. "What about Glinda?"

The moment the words were out of her mouth, Fiyero's expression matched Elphaba's. Yes, what about Glinda? They couldn't leave her with no word from either of them. She would surely try to find them. So what could they do?

Fiyero coughed. "Well, maybe we could...we could...I got nothing."

Elphaba stood and walked over to the little room she called her study. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. "We could write to her. What do you think?"

"It's got promise, but what it gets intercepted?"

Elphaba thought for a moment and then she smiled. "It won't get intercepted. I'll make sure of it."

She quickly wrote out a letter, and gave a long whistle. Then a figure appeared at one of the small windows. He quickly jumped down and Elphaba wrapped her arms around the creature's furry body. "Hello Chistery! It's good to see you."

The monkey replied, "'Tis good to see you too Miss Elphaba."

She released him and smiled wider at Fiyero's surprised expression. She turned back to the Monkey. "Chistery, I have a special job for you. Would mind terribly delivering this letter to Glinda for me?"

Glinda started coughing when the cloud of thick grey smoke appeared and when she looked up through her watering eyes, Elphaba and Fiyero were gone. A soft smile graced her face. She was sure that they were safe.

She quickly wiped the smile off of her face before any of the guards could see it. She didn't need them turning on her now.

She left the courtyard and walked back to her rooms. Glinda was sad to see her friends leave, but this time she was sure that they would return.

Once she had locked the door to her lavish suite she turned and nearly fainted from shock. Sitting on her window ledge and tapping the glass with one paw, was Chistery. She opened the window for him and he climbed down, thanking her as she did so.

"Chistery, what are you doing here?" Glinda questioned the Monkey.

Chistery gave her a folded piece of paper in response. On the front her name was written in Elphaba's handwriting.

It read:

_Glinda,_

_I hope this gets to you safely. If you happen to have any, could you possibly give my messenger a banana? He's rather fond of them._

_Scarecrow and I are safe. You didn't think I'd let us be killed did you? On the bottom of this letter is the address of the house we are living in. Just in case you need to find us. _

_I've missed you my dear. It's been nice seeing you again. And not to sound...cheesy, you really have changed me for good._

_Hoping to hear from you soon,_

_E. Thropp  
_

Glinda shook her head at her best friend. She was clever to say the least. She hadn't given any indication of who she was, other than her name but not many people were likely to know that. Anyone else reading this letter wouldn't have a clue that it was really from the Wicked Witch of the West.

Glinda scanned the address at the bottom and memorised it. Then she walked to the fruit bowl on her coffee table and handed a banana to Chistery. Then she picked up a lighter and lit the paper on fire. She couldn't afford for anyone to find it, and although it was unlikely, someone may realise who it was from.

Then Glinda made a split second decision whilst watching the letter curl up into ashes. She shouldn't have to be apart from her best friend, not anymore. She gathered up her skirts, grabbed her tiara and wand and went to tell the public of an important announcement she was planning on giving.

"Citizens of Oz," She called from her balcony. "I have an important announcement to make. To most of you, maybe even all of you, this will be shockifying. But I promise you that everything I tell you is the truth."

A crowd was forming, and more were stopping to hear Glinda the Good's speech. Word was being spread and soon the entire area under Glinda's balcony was filled with people.

"We all know about who was killed just under a month ago," There was a chorus for 'the wicked witch' which caused Glinda to wince. "But can anyone here actually remember anything 'wicked' that she had done?"

The crowd all turned to look at each other, surprised by the turn of events. What was Lady Glinda talking about?

"I bet no one can. Because she committed not even one act of wickedness in her whole life. In fact all her life she was blamed for things other people had done. First her mother's death, and the fact that her sister was crippled. That was her father's fault not hers."

By now the crowd was starting to mutter among themselves. Glinda blinked back the tears threatening to run down her face again.

"Everything she ever did in her life was an attempt to help other people. Take the Animals for instance. She was only trying to help. It was the Wizard who called her wicked, and just because she wouldn't work for him."

At the comment about the city's beloved Wizard, the crowd started to become angry. They had always believed what they had been told about the Wicked Witch, and now they refused to listen to anything else Glinda had to say. They started booing and shouting at her, and suddenly a glint of silver caught Glinda's eye.

Someone had a gun.

Elphaba was pacing the length of the cottage's living room. Fiyero was watching her warily from his position on the couch.

"Calm down, Elphaba, I'm sure that Glinda and Chistery are fine."

Elphaba stopped her frantic pacing to turn and face him. She had changed out of her tattered nightdress and the long skirts of the dress she was wearing now swished around her ankles.

"I know," she sighed. "But I can't help it. I have a bad feeling about something, and my damn mind won't tell me what it is!"

Her expression became one of frustration. She was nearly pulling at her hair in annoyance.

Fiyero slumped back, his tactics were obviously failing. Elphaba started up her pacing again.

A few minutes later she stopped, a look of pure horror and fear plastered on her face. "No! No, Glinda, no!"

Fiyero stood up and rushed to her side. He shook her lightly trying to keep from panicking. "What is it, love?" he asked her urgently.

Elphaba's eyes met his and her panic almost seemed to increase. She wasn't looking at him, she was looking _through _him. "Glinda's going to try to clear my name...and someone's going to shoot her."

Glinda saw the gun, and before anyone could react, the owner of it fired. Glinda felt a white hot pain in her side before she collapsed. She could feel the blood pouring out of her side from the wound.

Elphaba rushed around the house looking for her broom. She found it and ran outside, leaving Fiyero instructions not to come after her. She mounted it quickly and kicked off.

She urged it to go faster and faster. She reached the Emerald City in minutes, whether the broom had gotten a lot faster or because her magic had gone haywire due to her panic, she didn't know. All she know was that she had to find her friend.

Elphaba spotted a large crowd formed around a balcony and flow down. She couldn't care less that she was a wanted criminal with a death sentence hanging over her head, all she cared about was the fact that Glinda was laying on the ground with blood pooling around her.

Elphaba practically jumped off the broom and let it fall somewhere. She rushed to her friend's side and gently lifted Glinda's shoulders up. There were tears running down Elphaba's face as she took in Glinda's halfway unconscious face.

"Glinda, please try to stay awake. Please," Elphaba begged.

Glinda's eyelids fluttered. "Elphie?"

Elphaba smiled through her tears. "Yes, it's me. I'm here Glin."

Glinda turned her head to face her friend. "Hi," she said shakily. "I was only trying to help."

Elphaba let out a desperate laugh. "I know. But you're going to be fine. Glinda you're going to be fine."

"No I'm not." Glinda's hand drifted to her blood soaked dress.

"Don't talk like that," Elphaba chastised her.

Glinda's blue eyes looked back up into Elphaba's brown ones. "It's true. It truly was life changing for me to be your friend. I just wish...that I had succeeded in clearing your name, Elphie."

Glinda's voice was becoming weaker. She coughed and her eyes started to close. "Goodbye, Elphie."

"No, Glinda, no don't say goodbye, no." Elphaba watched as Glinda's eyes closed and her breathing became shallower and shallower until it stopped. "Glinda. Glinda!"

Elphaba desperately called her friends name but she got no response. "GLINDA!"

By now the crowd had realised that the Wicked Witch was alive and in their city, above their heads. Some were attempting to flee while others were trying to storm the palace. When Elphaba gave her last scream the crowd stopped, all of them in shock.

Elphaba gently placed Glinda on the ground again and stood up slowly. She turned to face the crowd.

Her voice was shaky when she spoke, her tears leaving trails down her face. "You all think of me as wicked. But look at yourselves, you can't accept anyone different. You've just killed your own Glinda the Good! I am not the one who is wicked. It's the citizens of Oz who are wicked. And I swear, I will hunt down who ever shot that bullet. You are not safe anywhere in Oz, not anymore."

She turned and lifted Glinda's light body into her arms and walked back into Glinda's private suite. She gently laid Glinda's body on her bed and slumped to the floor.

Elphaba rested her arms on the satin sheets and cried into her arms.

**OK, I'm awful I know. I wasn't planning on this chapter coming out this dark. In fact this meant to be more of a filler than anything else. But I was gripped by plot bunnies and forced to write this. I have tears in my eyes. Sorry to leave you with the cliffie, but reviews inspire updates. *Hint hint***

**People who review are the best people in the world. No really.**

**Once again feel free to pelt me with virtual fruit.**

**Cherry x**


	7. Popular

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I know we all want to hear what is happening so on with the chapter! (Well I hope you want to hear what's happening!)**

**Chapter 7-Popular**

Glinda found herself in a dark place. The sky was filled with thick gray clouds and she was stood in a large clearing in a black forest.

She glanced around, panicked, wondering frantically where she was. The last thing she could remember was being in the Emerald City with Elphie. There was a blinding pain, a few muttered words between them and then...nothing.

She looked downwards while her fingertips brushed against the dark stain were the bullet had pierced her skin. Glinda let out a delicate shudder as she remembered the glint of sunlight on the gun's barrel. She could have sworn that she had heard the hammer click as it was pulled back. And then the deafening bang as the trigger was released. She could still smell the gunpowder in her nostrils.

The person holding the gun had been wearing a light gray cloak with the hood pulled down over the face. But it had spilled a little when the figure had looked up to see her fall. It was a girl. A girl with long black hair which was curled elegantly on top of her head. There was a smirk planted firmly on her face and Glinda saw it before the figure turned and was lost in the crowd.

Glinda shook her head, pulling herself out of her memories, her blonde curls whipping around her face.

She froze at the sound of a twig snapping behind her. She spun around.

A slim figure approached her from between the trees. It was a young girl, no more than fifteen. She had long ebony hair flowing down her back and sparkling ice blue eyes. There was a soft smile on her face as she broke through the trees and was finally in the clearing. She let go of the fabric of her dress that she was holding off the forest floor. The dress was made of a white silky fabric, not something that Glinda would wear in a wood.

"Glinda," she voice was quiet but filled with kindness, "I am Anvesa Dyns."

"Where am I?" Glinda demanded, meaning for it to come out strong, like Elphaba would have been, but there was a note of fear in her tone that gave her away.

The girl took a few steps forward until she was only a few feet away. "You are in the land between the world of the living and the world of the dead."

Glinda blinked. "But why am I here?"

Anvesa shook her head sadly. "It wasn't your time to die just yet. And my sister knew that."

At Glinda's confused expression, Anvesa explained. "My sister, Nizava, trapped me here. Yes, I am dead too. But I am unable to leave this place. She is a powerful sorceress, if a little insane. Our mother had heard that a child of both worlds would have a great talent for magic. She was obsessed with having magic in our family. She heard of a travelling salesman boasting to be from a place called..." Her face scrunched up as she tried to think of the name. "Earth. So she found him and well...you can guess what happened. Well, when we were born, Nizava and I are twins you see, our mother tested us for magic. I can't remember what she did now, but it turned out that Nizava had all the magical talent while I had very little."

Glinda nodded. And then her eyebrows pulled together. "But what does this have to do with me?"

Anvesa placed a hand lightly on Glinda's shoulder. "It was always Nizava's dream to be the greatest sorceress in all of Oz, but when Elphaba came along...well she wasn't happy. She only did this to you to get to your friend. I'm sorry."

Glinda shrugged the hand from her shoulder as she turned away. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked, still not facing Anvesa.

Anvesa walked around Glinda until she was stood in front of her again. "I can give you a choice. You can either go to the place that I am barred from _or _you can go back to Oz to help your friend. It's your decision."

Glinda didn't even need to think about it. "I want to go back to Oz. Elphie needs me. And Fiyero too. So that my choice. I want to go home."

"So be it. This may feel a little strange." Anvesa gripped Glinda's shoulder tightly and whispered some words under her breath. Then Glinda felt as if she was being pulled backwards.

A strong light engulfed her as she fell back into her own body. To the outside world nothing changed to Glinda's body for a few seconds but then she took in a huge breath of air. Her back arched and she started coughing. Once she had stopped, she looked around at her surroundings.

She was still in her room, her pink and frilly room. She sat up gingerly, testing out her muscles. She felt a sharp pain coming from her side but when she looked down her midsection was bandaged.

When she glanced down a flash of green passed in the corner of her eye. She moved her gaze to the figure slumped against the bed, tear streaks down her face and her face not even peaceful in sleep.

"Elphaba." Glinda whispered gently, as so not to wake her friend.

Elphaba murmured something and her eyebrows furrowed further still. She rolled her head in her arms so that her head was facing a different way. More tears started pouring down her face as Glinda noticed her eyelids flickering. She was having a nightmare.

Glinda sat up and slipped down from her bed. Someone had changed her into a pink nightgown. She knelt next the Elphaba and wrapped her arms around her. Elphaba seemed to feel her presence because her eyes shot open. She looked blearily around herself, not noticing Glinda and she used one hand to wipe her eyes.

"Elphie," Glinda murmured softly, drawing Elphaba's bloodshot eyes to her own.

Elphaba sat for a few seconds before wrapping her arms tightly around her best friend. "Glinda, is it really you?"

Glinda patted Elphaba's back as she chuckled. "Yes, it's really me."

They hugged for a few minutes more before Elphaba pulled away but kept her hands on Glinda's shoulders. She cleared her throat. "Glinda...how?"

Glinda giggled. "How what, Elphie?"

Elphaba scowled at her in mock irritation. "You know what I mean. How are you...back? Not, that I'm not happy to see you, but...still..."

Elphaba trailed off. Glinda shook her head and sighed. "I can't really remember anything. Only...only two names: Anvesa and Nizava Dyns. Do you recognise them?"

Elphaba shook her head, her hair falling over her shoulders. "No, but we could probably look at the lists of Ozian citizens."

Glinda's eyes widened in horror. "Elphie, that would take forever! You know it's not alphabetical! No, I'm sure they weren't important."

Glinda looked around them and stood, pulling Elphaba to her feet with her. She walked away from Elphaba, towards a pair of large pink doors. Once she reached them she flung them open and waltzed inside. She ordered Elphaba to close her eyes and grabbed an object off the vanity table. She hurried out again, using her foot to close the horrendously pink (in Elphaba's opinion) doors.

She walked slowly towards Elphaba and then told her she could open her eyes. Elphaba gasped and Glinda held the strange object in front of her. "I thought you'd like to where this hat," she said, repeating what she had said to Elphaba back at Shiz, "It's really...um, sharp. Don't you think? You know, I've heard black is this years pink. You deserve each other, you and this hat; you're both so...smart. So here, out of the goodness of my heart."

Elphaba reached out shaky hands to hold the pointed black hat in her hands. "You...kept this?" Her voice trembled and tears filled her eyes again.

Glinda nodded and gently took the hat out of her Elphaba's hands. Elphaba looked at her questioningly before Glinda placed the hat on her friend's head. Elphaba smiled at her and wiped at her eyes, removing the tears. She turned slightly to look in the mirror and then gripped both sides of the black hat and tilted it so that it sat crookedly on her head. "There," she said, "much better."

Glinda and Elphaba smiled at each other and then a cloud of worry came over Glinda's face. "Elphaba, where's Fiyero?"

Elphaba smiled at the shorter girl reassuringly. "He's just across the hall. " Elphaba frowned. "In fact, we should probably go and tell him the _glorious _news." She smirked.

Glinda swatted at Elphaba's shoulder but the taller of the two jumped out of the way. Glinda started giggling and Elphaba let out one of her quieter cackles. They walked over to the door and Elphaba stuck her head out, checking for people. Then she walked out into the corridor. When she turned to talk to Glinda she found that her blonde friend wasn't there. She sighed and turned back to the room. "Come _on_!" she hissed grabbing Glinda's arm and pulling her along.

When she got to the room across from Glinda's, this ones door a more subtle shade of green than Glinda's pink. Glinda knocked politely on the door but Elphaba rolled her eyes and started hammering on the door with her fist. The doors were opened pretty quickly then and Elphaba's smirk became more pronounced at her partner's shocked expression.

She rolled into the room, giving Fiyero a quick peck on the cheek as she went by. Then she plopped her self down in one of the huge chairs dotted around the place.

"Gl-glinda?" Fiyero stammered.

Elphaba snorted. "Thank the Unnamed God, he has a brain!"

Glinda leaned around Fiyero to glare at her best friend who was grinning back at her. Then Glinda turned her attention back to Fiyero. "Hi. Yes, I'm alive, no, I don't know how, yes, I realize how much I sound like Elphie right now-"

Fiyero cut her off by wrapping his straw arms around her and spinning her around. Elphaba's head shot up and she rolled her eyes again. "Fiyero! Down boy!"

Fiyero laughed and placed Glinda on her feet again. "It's good to see you, Glinda."

Glinda fixed her already perfect nightgown and smiled. "It's nice to see you too, Fi-fi."

Fiyero pulled a face. "Glinda," he whined, "I told you not to call me that."

Glinda smiled sweetly and pointed to her face. "Does this face look like it cares?"

She didn't wait for an answer; instead she sat her self down on a chair across from Elphaba and yearned herself a high five from the green woman. Fiyero went to sat on the arm of Elphaba's seat, grumbling. "Don't worry, Yero," Elphaba murmured, soothingly. "You could have had worse."

Fiyero brightened again and Glinda pouted. Elphaba laughed at their expression and the atmosphere in the room lightened.

They talked, steering away from the topic of Glinda's death and instead started discussing the two names that Glinda had remembered.

"I've heard of the name Dyns," Fiyero told them. "She was a crazy woman, or so the stories say, that lived on the border of Quadling country. But you can't really trust the stories," he added nudging Elphaba. "The stories also said that she had two daughters, I can't remember their names but they could have been Anvesa and Nizava."

The three fell into an uncomfortable silence until Elphaba broke it, saying that she was going to go to the library. Glinda and Fiyero offered to go with her and so the three left the room.

*

Nizava hung her cloak on a peg next to the massive door to he abandoned mansion she had found near to the Emerald City. She pulled the pins out of her hair, letting the long dark tresses fall down her back. She placed the pins in a dish on a side table as she glided up the stairs to the tower room.

She looked at the crystal ball nestled on a big red cushion in the centre of the room. She walked over to it, her eyes glinting dangerously, triumphantly. She placed her hands on either side of the glass sphere and concentrated.

Colours flashed by in the crystal ball until Nizava picked the image she wanted to see. It was of the green witch. She was on her knees next to an absurdly pink bed on which was lying Oz's great Glinda the Good. Nizava laughed, the feeling of having won rising in her chest.

"That's what you get, Elphaba Thropp, now I just have to eliminate that little piled of straw you seem to like so much."

**Ohhh! Nizava is eeeevil! And Glinda liiiiives! Please review, it's lovely to hear your comments! **

**Cherry x**


	8. I'm Not That Girl

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews everyone!**

**Chapter 8-I'm Not That Girl**

Glinda's head fell into her arms as she let out a sigh of annoyance. "Elphie," she complained, "I don't think we're going to find them."

Elphaba looked at the blonde girl over her glasses, which she had found in the lining of her hat. "Glinda," she started, matter-of-factly, "You have been looking for all of five minutes."

Glinda groaned and hid her eyes from Elphaba's stare. "I know," she whined, "But, Elphie, really what are the chances of finding two names out of the whole of Oz?"

Elphaba seemed to be considering it and Fiyero told her not to even try. Elphaba shot him a glare, shrugged and returned to the section of the list that she had hold of.

They were sitting in the palace's dusty library trying to find any reference to a Nizava or Anvesa Dyns. They were reading by lamp light and Elphaba had her glasses balancing on the end of her pointed nose. Really, there wasn't much chance of finding the people they were looking for, even Elphaba had to admit that, and Glinda was probably right and they weren't important. But they could be and that caused Elphaba to gladly take up the challenge. She needed something to take her mind off of the fact that she had nearly lost Glinda for good. She had even, for three days. And in those three days, she hadn't left Glinda's side, not once. Fiyero had to bring food and water to her.

Elphaba shook her head, clearing it of the disturbing thoughts and looked back at the names. They seemed to blur and blend together before her eyes and she took her glasses of to rub her eyes with one hand. This was going to take a long time.

*

Nizava was still having her own personal celebration about how she had crushed the spirit of the fearsome 'Wicked Witch of the West', when a ghostly figure appeared next to her. Nizava scowled at her sister and stalked off away from her.

"What do you want, Anvesa? Jeez, I thought when you were dead you'd leave me alone already."

Anvesa glided over to her sister calmly. "You shouldn't have shot Glinda."

Nizava laughed at her sister. "So you heard about that then?"

"Yes, dear sister, and I sent Glinda back into her body."

Nizava turned around, fury etched into her features. "You did what?!"

Anvesa settled her self on a chair. "She is alive. Check if you don't believe me."

Nizava stomped over to her crystal ball and took a few deep breaths before staring into it. Her sister was lying, just to irritate her and that stupid Elphaba would still be curled up next to the bed of her dead best friend.

After she had calmed down a little, she carefully laid her hands over the smooth clear surface of the ball. She concentrated on who she wished to see. _Elphaba Thropp._

She was shown a dark library, lit only by a few lamps. Elphaba was sitting at a table, glasses on the end of her nose and looking at a stack of paper. A little way across revealed that ridiculous excuse of a Scarecrow, Fiyero, and sitting by him was...

"NO!" She howled in rage and fury. Nizava's power burst out of her, as it tended to do when she was extremely angry, not like that green girl, hers would appear over the slightest thing. No, Nizava's mother had trained her how to control it.

The burst of power caused the windows to shattered, allowing rain to come pelting into the small tower room. Nizava hurried down the stairs after grabbing the crystal ball and its cushion.

Anvesa followed her sister, a small smile on her face. _When will she ever learn?_ She thought as she drifted after Nizava.

*

"Not one word," Elphaba snapped at Fiyero and Glinda. They had been searching for over a week now, and to no avail. They had found themselves and their extended family. Glinda had discovered that her father had a cousin who had an aunt who had a nephew who had a daughter that she happened to be distantly related to. But they still had no idea who the mysterious names belonged to. Elphaba pinched the bridge of her nose, taking off her glasses. "OK, so either the section of the lists that they were on is gone _or, _the most likely theory is that they just aren't on the list."

She closed her eyes trying to make her frustration just _go away..._

Arms came around her shoulders. She relaxed into the embrace. "Fae," Fiyero whispered, "you can't do everything. Sometimes, you just have to accept that."

She opened her eyes to see the library doors closing. Glinda had left to give them some privacy. Fiyero walked around the chair and lifted Elphaba up to her feet. He kissed her lightly and then pulled her to one of the bigger sofas in the large room. He sat himself sown and then pulled Elphaba down too, so she was sitting on his lap.

She rested her head on his shoulder as he cradled her. "I'm just so...useless," she started.

"Elphaba," Fiyero said disapprovingly.

She didn't acknowledge that he had spoken. "I can't do anything, not really and...and..." Tears started rolling down her cheeks. Fiyero's stuffed hand wiped them away but Elphaba pushed his hand away. She buried her head further into his shoulder and her shoulders shook with her sobbing.

"Shh," Fiyero murmured. "Shh."

"I just...I can't be...st...strong all...the...t...time..." Elphaba managed to gasp out.

Fiyero started stroking her hair as she softly replied, "I know, Fae, that's why you have me, and Glinda, we're here to be strong for you."

She told him about she still had nightmares about when they were imprisoned, about Glinda's death, how it would replay in her head every time she closed her eyes. Fiyero didn't interrupt her, he just kept stroking her long hair.

Fiyero let Elphaba cry herself out on her shoulder. Eventually all he could here was her hitched breathing, which was long and deep, an obvious sign that she was asleep. He lifted her up in his arms and carried her out of the library and back to their room.

Once they were there, he placed her on the bed and pulled the cover up over her unconscious form. She gripped it in one fist, so hard that her knuckles actually turned white. He watched her for a moment and then he laid down beside her, wrapping one arm around her. Elphaba moved slightly, nestling her head into his shoulder. She let out a soft sigh.

"I love you, Yero," Elphaba breathed.

Fiyero didn't know whether she was awake or just sleep talking, but he squeezed her shoulder and murmured back, "I love you too, Elphaba."

*

As she dreamt, Elphaba was visited again. The past versions of herself were stood in front of her, each looking the same as they had the last time. But Elphaba didn't believe that they were really her anymore.

"Who are you? Who made you?" Elphaba could hear the impatience in her voice.

The eldest stepped forward, an irritated expression on her face. "Ok, you got me." She clicked her fingers and the other two dissolved and the green skin was replaced by a more normal shade. The black hair remained, though and the shape of her face.

Elphaba's eyebrows furrowed. "Who are really then?"

The girl's lips turned up into a smirk. "Nizava Dyns. You know, the one you've been looking for?"

"You-you did this?" Elphaba reeled backwards a little in shock. So the name had been important after all. "W-why?"

Nizava rolled her eyes. "Why do you think? Because I was meant to be the greatest sorceress, witch, whatever you want to call it, in all of Oz, and not you!" Nizava had stomped her way over to Elphaba and jabbed her in the chest with one finger.

Elphaba cackled, long and loud at what the shorter girl had to say. "That's what this is about? The fact that you're a spoiled brat?"

As she thought it over, Elphaba realized that it was the girl in front of her was probably the same person who had shot Glinda. Elphaba's eye clouded over with fury. This was much worse than anything that Elphaba had gotten angry over before. This was about someone she cared for.

Elphaba flew at the short girl, who didn't have the chance to duck or avoid the blur of green and black. Elphaba knocked her to the floor and started punching the living daylights out of the girl. Nizava tried to fight back but she was no match for the bigger and more experienced street fighter.

Elphaba had had to the learn how to fend for herself, since early on in her life she realised that she would have to take care of herself. So she learned to fight dirty.

Elphaba felt her shoulders being shaken, yet she could still see the frightened looking girl in front of her. She suddenly felt a jolt and then she was gazing up into the face of her panicked looking sort-of husband.

They hadn't actually had a ceremony and they had just agreed one day that they were married, but it was good enough for Elphaba.

Fiyero had a firm grip on her shoulders and he was shaking her so hard her teeth rattled. "Fiyero, what are you doing?!"

Fiyero let g of her shoulders and she slumped back against the pillows, her hair fanned out around her head. Her breathing was coming in quick gasps as was Fiyero's. She looked up at him as he lent down to quickly kiss her and mutter an apology in her ear. "Shut up and kiss me, you brainless thing," Elphaba said in response to his apology.

Fiyero complied.

*

When Glinda opened their door to tell them something a little while later, they were still in the midst of their make-out session. She covered her eyes and told them that they should lock their door in future.

Elphaba rolled her eyes at her best friend. "Glinda, one," she held up one finger, "it is fine to look at us, we are clothed. Two, we are only kissing."

Glinda reluctantly put her hand back down at her side as Fiyero reluctantly gave Elphaba one last peck on the cheek and climbed off the bed. Elphaba's expression softened slightly and then she too climbed out of bed.

"Well, Glinda, what do you have to tell us?" Elphaba asked, tapping her foot slightly.

Glinda walked towards them with a piece of paper in her hand. "I found them."

Elphaba rushed forward. "You did what?"

Glinda smiled triumphantly. "I found them. They were on a list which had fallen to the floor. Anvesa and Nizava Dyns," she read, "Daughters of Aletia Dyns. Father not listed. But I think I know who he is."

Elphaba's eyebrows rose up. "Really? Who?"

Glinda's smile became a straight line. "In a dream last night, I remembered everything. I met Anvesa, Nizava had killed her and trapped her, and she told me that her mother and a travelling salesman claiming to be from a different world had...well, you know." Elphaba nodded.

"But how does this mean that you know who the father is?"

Glinda walked over to Elphaba and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It was your father."

Elphaba's expression was one of confusion. "Frex?"

"No," Glinda shook her head sadly. "Your _real _father." At Elphaba's questioning glance Glinda explained about the Wizard, the bottles, everything.

At the end of the explanation, Elphaba sat down on the edge of the bed. "So, I'm a half sister of those two..."

"Anvesa was actually quite nice." Glinda told her.

Elphaba let out an emotionless laugh. "I guess Nizava and I both have something in common: we both killed our sisters."

Fiyero sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Fae, you know that wasn't your fault. It was Morrible's doing, not yours."

Elphaba sighed. "I know. But I still feel guilty about it." She took in a deep breath and stood up again. "So what are we going to do about Nizava?"

All at once there was a flurry of movement coming from the door and then little sparks of fire floated into the room. They seemed to be heading straight for Fiyero and Elphaba realised quickly. She shoved Glinda out of the way, causing the blonde to fall to the floor. Elphaba flung herself in front of Fiyero who was backing away from the sparks.

They hit her, all of them and she screamed. They seemed to bury themselves under her skin and she cried out in agony. She was facing Fiyero when she fell forward, her knees giving out from the pain. Fiyero caught her and lifted her up into his arms. She struggled, trying to get him to release her, but her eyes were still screwed shut.

He placed her on the bed and ran to get something out of Elphaba's bag which was sitting in a corner. Glinda rushed to her friend's side and placed the back of her hand on Elphaba's forehead. It was burning hot.

Fiyero returned with a small bag clutched in his hands. He sat down next to Elphaba and searched her arm for small bumps. He found one, braced himself and used a small knife that he had taken out of the bag to make a small cut in Elphaba's skin. Elphaba screamed again.

Fiyero tried to ignore her groans of pain as he pulled out some tweezers and gently eased out one of the sparks. "Glinda, get me a bowl of water. Hurry!"

Glinda ran to the bathroom as Fiyero held the tweezers in one hand and dabbed the blood away from the cut on Elphaba's arm with a cloth with the other. Glinda returned with the bowl and Fiyero placed the spark into it. It went out immediately.

Fiyero continued taking the little balls of fire out from under Elphaba's skin and after a few hours the tedious task was done. He left Elphaba alone to sleep it off and went to go and tell Glinda, who was waiting in her own room, the news.

"Glinda?" Fiyero knocked on the door.

"Come in," Glinda called back.

Fiyero eased open the door and took in the tear stained face of the blonde girl sitting on the bed. "Is it done?" She asked him.

"Yes. Do you want to come and see her?"

Glinda nodded and followed Fiyero back to his and Elphaba's room.

She had turned onto her side, her eyebrows still furrowed. Glinda shot Fiyero a glare and went to get a washcloth. We she returned she eased Elphaba back onto her back and placed the wet washcloth on her fevered forehead.

Fiyero and Glinda took it in turns to watch Elphaba, but even two day's later her fever still hadn't broken and she hadn't woken up.

"Elphaba, please," Fiyero begged her one evening, "please wake up, love, I need you to wake up."

Elphaba made a low noise in her throat. Then her eyes cracked open a few millimetres. "Fiyero?" She rasped out.

He gabbed her hand and smiled widely. "Elphaba? I'm here."

She tried to sit up but she pushed her back down. "I love you," she told him.

"I know," he replied, "I love you too."

She sighed and a slight smile lit up her face. Then her eyes fluttered and she went back to sleep. Fiyero brushed a strand of hair off her face and let his fingers trail down her cheek.

_Elphaba, _he pleaded silently, _come back to me soon._

**A/N: Thank you all for reading and hopefully this chapter will bump the review count up to 30! So please review! Reviews inspire updates!**


	9. One Short Day

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked. **

**A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews, I want to send this thanks out to those I can't thank personally. Leia Emberblaze, James Birdsong and everyone else who has reviewed and I am unable to PM. Thanks again!**

**Chapter 9-One Short Day**

Fiyero held Elphaba's hand with his own and rubbed circles on the back of it with his thumb. It had been another two days since Elphaba had awoken and told him she loved him. The way her voice sounded, it was almost like a goodbye. He kept watch over her and Glinda tended to sleep in the chair on the opposite side of the green canopied bed that Elphaba lay in.

Glinda sat there now, light snores drifting out of her mouth. Fiyero watched Elphaba's fluttering eyelids as she dreamed.

Fiyero had questioned Glinda on why the guards hadn't come rushing up after them over the last few weeks and she explained that they were probably out looking for the would-be murderer. When he gave her an incredulous look, she said that they probably didn't believe that Elphaba had really shown up, and probably thought that it was a trick of the light causing a perfectly normal woman to look green.

Eventually, Fiyero drifted to sleep in the hard chair he had pulled over to sit next to Elphaba, his head lolling from side to side. Glinda dreamed on.

Neither of them noticed that Elphaba's form seemed to flicker for a few seconds before disappearing.

Fiyero's hand searched for Elphaba's unconsciously. When he couldn't find it he awoke and groggily took in the fact that Elphaba was gone. "Elphaba?" He stood and started calling around the room, just in case she had woken up and gone to the bathroom. When he could find her, his calling became shouting and it soon woke up Glinda.

"Fiyero? What are you-"

Fiyero's panicked eyes met hers for one second before they carried on looking desperately around the spacious room and its adjoining spaces. Glinda looked at the bed, empty except for the messed up blankets that Elphaba had been lying under. "Elphie?" Glinda's voice became just as desperate as Fiyero's as she too started looking for her best friend.

*

Elphaba had the sensation of weightlessness before she crashed roughly onto a hard stone floor. She let out a brief scream of pain as her back made contact with the stone, which cut off as she started coughing. She cracked her eyes open slightly and looked around blearily. She didn't really need her glasses too much, really for reading, but she felt as if she needed them now. She felt around for them, but couldn't find them.

Elphaba heaved herself on to her side as she continued coughing. She heard footsteps and her head turned towards the sound. All she could really see was a long white dress with big boots peeking out from underneath the hem. She shifted her gaze upward to see the smirking face of Nizava Dyns.

"So nice of you to drop in," Nizava said, aiming a kick at Elphaba's stomach. Elphaba groaned when the kick landed, and curl her knees up to her chest but refused to let the arrogant girl in front of her hear her scream. Nizava laughed at the sound of Elphaba's pain.

She walked around Elphaba in circles, her hands on her hips. "Come now, aren't you going to fight back?" Nizava grabbed Elphaba's hair and pulled her onto her knees. Elphaba's arms remained around her stomach as she glared through a curtain of hair at the surprisingly stronger younger girl. "Now you are in your place," Nizava sneered. "On your knees in front of me."

Elphaba spat at Nizava and the younger girl walked around the back of the green woman and kicked her in the back. Elphaba clamped her mouth shut, only letting a small whimper out from between her lips as she fell forward at the force of the kick.

She landed so she was on her hands and knees. She tried to stand but caught her foot in the long dress she was still wearing and fell onto her stomach. She was stopped from trying to stand again by Nizava's boot on her back holding her down.

"I've been waiting for this day," Nizava told her. "It's been fun fooling with you, but now I get to take you down _myself_."

Elphaba's lips curled down into a snarl. "I don't plan," she rolled over and grabbed Nizava's ankle and pulled her down, "on dying today."

Nizava went down heavily and her hair fell out of its bun and fell around her face. It was one quality that the Wizard must have given them both. Nizava gave out a howl of fury and scrambled to her knees but Elphaba was already standing above her, her knees shaking and her legs feeling weak. She pushed the younger girl back and started walking towards her. Nizava hurried away from her and pulled herself to her feet with the side of a table.

They faced each other. The rain pouring outside sounded deafening, as did their loud breathing. Elphaba struggled to stay standing. Nizava took her chance when Elphaba squeezed her eyes shut for a second to run at her and grab her by the middle. They both went down, but Elphaba knocked her head on the table that Nizava had pulled herself up on. She saw Nizava's twisted face and then the darkness took over.

*

Glinda grabbed hold of Fiyero's stuffed shoulders and shook him. "Fiyero, snap out of it! We will find her!"

Fiyero had been out of his mind panicking and now his frantic eyes met Glinda's calmer ones. He took in a deep breath and let it out again. "I know, Glinda. But-"

"No buts! We. Will. Find. Her!"

Glinda let go of his shoulders and went looking fro something. She left Fiyero's room and went to her own. She opened the large doors and walked out onto the balcony. There she found what she wanted. Glinda grabbed it, held it tight for a moment and then ran back to Fiyero's room.

When he saw what she had, his mouth gaped open in shock. She quickly closed the door and went to open the large window on the opposite side of the room to the door. She motioned for Fiyero to join her and he walked over hesitantly. "Glinda, are you sure you can control that thing?"

Glinda mounted the broom and shook her head. "No, but I've got to try. My bubble would be too slow. Come on, Elphie needs us!"

Fiyero came over and touched the wood of the broom with one hand. "Glinda, we don't even know where she is."

Glinda pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to him. "Yes we do. Nizava probably has her. The list had the address written on it."

Fiyero shook his head at her. "We don't even know if Nizava's still there or not."

Glinda's expression was determined. "I know. But we've got to try right?"

Fiyero sighed and nodded. He climbed on behind Glinda and cautiously placed his arms around her waist. Glinda kicked off from the window and they began their trip to the far off castle on the edge of Quadling Country.

Unbeknownst to them, they flew right over Elphaba, hidden in the basement of the mansion on the edge of the Emerald City.

*

Elphaba could feel the shackles digging into her wrists and ankles and she could hear the dips of water as it leaked through the cracks in the walls. She could smell the damp of the room she had been locked in and she could taste the blood in her mouth. The one thing she couldn't do was see anything.

The room was black as pitch and the darkness seemed to be choking her and she made small sounds of distress. She couldn't really make any noise because a gag had been tied around her head, stopping her from making any noise.

She shut her eyes tightly together and tried to take in some deep breaths through her nose. She had never done well in the dark. Ever since Frex would lock her in various closets and cupboards in her childhood home, she had had an intense fear of the dark. She managed to get her breathing back to normal after a few minutes, but her heart continued to pound.

She tried felling around on the floor fro something to try and pick the locks of the shackles, but she found that once she had gotten a certain distance away from where she had been sitting, the chains coming from the shackles pulled taunt and she fell to the floor. Without her hands to catch her, she fell on her stomach, hitting her chin painfully on the hard floor.

Elphaba managed to sit back up and curl up into a ball the best she could. She let out a few whimpers before a few tears leaked out of her still closed eyes. She wiped them away roughly with one dirty green hand. "Stupid eyes," her breath hitched as she spoke to herself, "don-don't cr-cry..."

She failed at trying to stop the tears from coming. She rested her head on her knees and sobbed silently into the thick fabric of her skirt.

Elphaba didn't notice the flickering light coming from a winding staircase. A figure holding a torch came down and ran to her side. She placed the torch in a holder by where Elphaba sat and knelt down next to the green woman. "Elphaba?" Anvesa's soft voice asked.

Elphaba's head rose off of her knees and she stared in fear and the figure next to her. She was too exhausted and beaten to put up her normal facade of strength in a situation like this.

"Nizava?" Her voice shook slightly as her body started to tremble.

Anvesa shook her head. "No. I'm her sister. Anvesa."

Elphaba's eyes widened. "I thought...that you were..."

"Dead?" Anvesa let out a soft chuckle. "Yes. I am. But I am able to materialize occasionally and I am able to hold normal objects. Like these for example."

Anvesa showed Elphaba what she had in her hand. A set of keys.

Anvesa hurried to unlock the shackles containing Elphaba and once she was free, she crawled as quickly as possible to sit next to the light. "Thank you," Elphaba said sincerely as she rubbed where to metal had cut into the skin of her wrists.

Anvesa sat next to her. "You're welcome."

Elphaba looked at her curiously. "Why are you helping me?"

Anvesa sighed and then looked back. "Well, you are family. Yes, I know about the Wizard. And two, since Nizava has trapped me to be forever either here in Oz, or walking the middle place, the places between the land of the living and the land of the dead, I cannot go to Heaven or whatever there is." Her eyes were sad. "I just...I'm tired. I just want it to be over. I just want...Paradise."

"I'm sorry," Elphaba said looking at her hands.

Anvesa laughed sadly. "It's not your fault. You didn't do this to me. And I don't even blame Ava for everything. I blame my mother. She made Nizava what she is. Nizava was always the favourite. Mother only looked at me as her disappointment."

Elphaba thought about placing her hand on Anvesa's shoulder, but thought better of it, as she would probably just go straight through the girl. "I understand," she said quietly. "It was the same for me. I was just the family disgrace. My father hated me and that was no secret. He would...would lock me in my room or in a closet and...sometimes I could swear that he just forgot about me, pretended that he only had one daughter...his precious Nessarose...Nessa I would call her and so would he. Before she was born, I think he used to call me Fabala. But afterwards, all I ever was to him was Elphaba, his disgrace, his mistake. The thing that killed her mother and caused her sister to be crippled."

Anvesa nodded her head. "I can see how you had it worse than I did. At least my mother could be caring, occasionally."

Elphaba shook her head. "Frex could be caring too, if he wanted to. I mean, when Nessa was still only a little baby and I was still a toddler, I remember him sending me off to play in the garden." She smiled. "I tried to climb a tree, but when I reached the top, I realised I couldn't get down. 'Papa!' I shouted and he came running. He climbed up into the tree after me and helped me down. Then he wiped away my tears and he smiled at me. 'It's alright, my little Fabala,' he had said. It's the best memory I have of him."

Anvesa launched into her own story about her childhood. They passed stories for several hours, until the clomping of boots coming down the stairs hit their ears. "I have to go," Anvesa said sadly. Elphaba nodded and watched her fade before her very eyes.

She scampered into one of the corners not hit by the lit from the torch. She didn't feel so scared when she could still see the light.

Nizava came into view a few seconds after Anvesa left and Elphaba hid. She screamed when she saw that her prisoner wasn't still chained to the floor. Elphaba peeked at where she had been sitting and saw that the chains that attached to the shackles where drilled into the stone floor. She shivered.

Nizava muttered angrily to herself for a few moments before running back up the stairs, not quite shutting the door that lead out of the cellar.

Elphaba took her chance and made her way as quietly up the stairs as possible and opened the door just a crack and looked out. The corridor was empty and she ran for the huge front door she could see. She opened it just as Nizava came out of another door. She made an angry noise when she spotted Elphaba and started chanting under her breath.

"Oh, no you don't," Elphaba muttered to herself and started chanting her own spell that she could remember from the Grimmerie.

Elphaba planted her feet and closed her eyes as she let the words fall form her lips. She couldn't even really remember what the spell was meant to do, but the words felt right and she could feel the heat rising in her chest and come pouring out form her hands.

Nizava kept her eyes open and watched as the elder sorceress performed her spell. She started shouting the words of her own spell to try and overcome Elphaba's more powerful magic.

Elphaba finished her enchantment and fell to her knees. She watched as Nizava was flung against one of the walls and her wrists were held there, as if they were tied to the stone. She struggled and then the other part of the spell kicked in and she fell unconscious.

Elphaba gave her one last grim look before she hurried out the door and down the path. She walked quickly back to the Emerald City and in through the secret entrance that she had used before. She managed to get to the palace just fine and once in the room she shared with Fiyero she collapsed on the bed.

*

Fiyero and Glinda had searched every inch of the castle near Quadling Country and found nothing. They eventually gave up and flew back to the Emerald City. It was late when they got back and no one saw them.

They flew back in the open window that they had departed from and Glinda reluctantly placed the broom the closet. She didn't return.

Fiyero heard deep breaths coming from the bed.

He raced over to the bed and flung back the curtain that concealed whoever was sleeping in the bed. When he saw Elphaba, curled up in a ball on top of the blankets he scooped her up in his arms and spun her round. Still asleep, she swatted at his chest and he placed her back on the bed, but on her back this time. She groaned in pain and rolled back onto her side. Fiyero's eyebrows furrowed and he gently undid the buttons at the back of Elphaba's dress.

What he saw made him feel slightly sick. A huge bruise covered a lot of her back. It was a dark green, purplish colour and Fiyero went to retrieve some of the balm that Elphaba carried round in case she fell off the broom and need to heal herself.

He rubbed some of the cream of her back, trying his best to ignore her noises of protest whenever he touched her skin. She slept on through him placing the healing balm on the injury and once it was done, he lay down next to her and placed his arm under her head and wrapped the other one other her. Elphaba shifted closer and had her hands by her chest and let out a sigh if happiness.

"I've been worried about you, Fae," Fiyero murmured in her ear.

"Mmmm?" Elphaba replied as her eyes opened sleepily and she smiled at him.

"Sorry I woke you." Fiyero's voice was sheepish. "But now you're awake, would you care to tell me why you have a massive bruise on your back and where you've been all day?"

Elphaba scowled. "I probably have a bruise on my stomach as well. Look, I'm really tired, can this wait until I've slept?"

Fiyero looked into Elphaba's exhausted eyes and he nodded. "Thank you, Yero."

Fiyero placed a soft kiss on the top of her head once she had snuggled into his chest. "I love you."

"I know. I love you too," Elphaba replied.

**So, will Nizava leave our Elphaba alone? Will Anvesa ever get to pass on? Will Elphaba ever stop being tortured by me? Reviews inspire updates!**

**Cherry x**


	10. A Sentimental Man

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked. *Is sad***

**A/N: *Perks up* Thanks for all the reviews everyone!**

**Chapter 10-A Sentimental Man**

Once Elphaba had slept enough she stretched, wincing in pain as she did so. She got out of bed, giving Fiyero's sleeping face a long glance.

She walked to the bathroom, grabbing a green dressing gown as she passed the hooks that held them. She grimaced as she noticed that it was a different shade of emerald to her own skin colour. It would clash horribly.

Elphaba let out a quiet laugh as she opened the door to the giant bathroom. Since when had she cared what she looked like? Glinda must have been rubbing off on her.

She took off her thick dress and stared at the bruise covering her stomach. She twisted around to try and see the injury on her back. She winced on principle when she saw it. Elphaba then noticed the tiny scars covering her body. She fingered them lightly, barely touching her skin.

She let out a sigh. No matter what Fiyero said, she could never be beautiful. No matter what she did, how hard she tried, how hard she wished, it would never happen. As she had known at Shiz, wishing only wounds the heart. And apparently she could be physically harmed by it as well, if Nizava was anything to go by.

She placed the large dress in a nearby laundry basket and put on the bathroom. She was right. She clashed with it terribly.

Elphaba picked up a hair brush and sat in front the mirror and started trying to yank the tangles out of her hair. It probably hadn't been brushed in days. She let her mind concentrate solely on the task at hand.

She had always found that, for some reason, brushing her hair helped calm her down. Whenever she argued with her father or got into a fight at school, she could come home and take down her braid and start brushing her hair with her mother's hairbrush. Frex didn't even know that she still had it.

Half an hour later Elphaba was still sat in front of the mirror, but by now the knots and tangles were gone and she was brushing her hair for the sake of it. She mechanically pulled the brush through her long black hair.

Her head turned towards the door when a knock sounded. "Are you decent?" Fiyero's voice called.

"Yes," Elphaba replied, as she placed the brush back on the table with a soft thunk.

Fiyero opened the door as Elphaba looked back in the mirror. She watched his reflection as he came and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He planted a kiss on her temple, but her eyes remained transfixed on their reflections.

For a fleeting moment she saw what Fiyero used to look like. And she saw herself without the green skin, the spell that Nizava had cast on her. They looked normal, they looked like they were meant to be together.

"Fae? What's wrong?" Fiyero asked her gently.

Elphaba sighed and turned in her seat to face Fiyero. She looked at her hands in her lap, allowing her curtain of hair to obscure her face. "I was just thinking...of how our lives could have been. If the Wizard hadn't made that elixir, if my mother hadn't been unfaithful, if Nizava's spell had worked-"

Fiyero cut her off. "If that happened," He lifted her chin upwards so he could see into her eyes, "then you wouldn't be you, Elphaba. You wouldn't be the loving, intelligent, sarcastic woman I love."

Elphaba felt a faint smile curl up the corners of her mouth. She pulled Fiyero's face down to hers and kissed him briefly. "Thank you," she whispered.

She cupped his cheek with her hand and they sat like that for a moment before they heard footsteps in their room. They both froze, and then relaxed again when they heard Glinda's voice.

"Fiyero," she was calling, "Do you want to try and find Elphie again today?"

Elphaba gave Fiyero a scathing look. "You didn't tell her that you found me?" she asked him in a harsh whisper.

He shrugged and Elphaba huffed and stalked towards the bathrooms door. She flung it open and announced that Glinda needn't look any further.

"Elphie!" Glinda squealed and ran over to hug her friend. Elphaba smiled through the pain of having Glinda pressing against her bruises and placed her own arms around Glinda's shoulders.

Glinda pulled away from her hug and swatted Elphaba's arm. Elphaba winced as Glinda hit one of her small cuts. Glinda's eyes widened and she quickly started apologising. "No," Elphaba interrupted, "I'm fine really, Glinda."

"If you're sure." Glinda eyed her friend disbelievingly.

Elphaba smiled more genuinely. "I'm sure."

"When did you get here?" Glinda pulled her friend over to the bed and sat her down. Once Elphaba was settled, Glinda started playing with her hair. It was like old times at Shiz.

"Last night." Elphaba answered lightly. "I fell asleep as soon as I was near the bed."

Fiyero waltzed out of the bathroom at that moment and was whistling. Glinda stomped over and, even though she was dressed in a bright pink and fluffy dressing gown, managed to look quite threatening.

"Fiyero Triggular. Why didn't you tell me that Elphie was here _last night_?"

Fiyero's whistling cut off rather suddenly and he stammered out an answer. "Well, Glinda, you see...Elphaba was so tired, and I just wanted to let her sleep-"

Elphaba cut him off. "Excuse me, you lifted me up and swung me around. You call that letting me sleep?"

Fiyero blushed. "I thought that you slept through that."

Elphaba shook her head and rolled her eyes. She picked up a book off the nightstand and started flicking through it. "You two have your little argument, don't mind me."

It was Fiyero's turn to roll his eyes and he went to sit behind Elphaba on the bed. He plucked the book out of her hands and ignored her protests as she tried to reach it. Fiyero held it away from her so she couldn't reach it. She got up on her knees to try to retrieve her book. She gave up and sat back on her heels with her hands on her hips. "Fiyero," she said evenly, "give me back the book. Now."

Fiyero grinned at her. "Nope." And with that he placed it in his bedside draw, locked in and placed the key in his pocket. "And now, you can tell us where you where yesterday." Fiyero frowned and then placed the back of his hand on her forehead.

Elphaba scowled. "Fiyero," she said whilst knocking his hand away, "I'm fine."

Glinda went to sit on the end of the bad away from the pair and crossed her legs. "You haven't been for about a week," she said in a small voice.

Elphaba's expression softened. "Sorry."

Fiyero grabbed her chin and forced her look at him. "Where were you, Fae?"

Elphaba yanked her head away from his hold and glanced down at her hands in her lap. "I...I was...taken, you could say, by Nizava."

Glinda's head shot up to meet Elphaba's gaze. "But we went to her castle and-"

Elphaba interrupted her. "I wasn't in her castle, if the one you mean is near Quadling Country, I was near the Emerald City. I think it was abandoned."

Fiyero hit his forehead with his palm. "I think we flew right over you."

Elphaba's eyebrow rose. "'Flew'? Did you take the bubble? I thought it would have been too slow-" At seeing their guilty expressions she realized what they meant. "You...you didn't. You didn't take my broom?" She jumped off the bed. "Where is it?" She started hunting around the room. "I said, where is it?!"

Fiyero got up off the bed as well and walked around the huge green thing to place his hands on the top of his wife's arms. "Fae, what is so important about the broom?"

Elphaba met his eyes. "If anyone but me rides it then it may not work for me anymore."

Glinda walked over to join them. "What?"

Elphaba pulled away from Fiyero and her eyes once again met Glinda's. "You may have displaced the enchantment on the broom. When I cast that spell on it, it was kind of erratic and I may not be able to cast it on the broom again."

Glinda's eyebrows rose. "But you cast it on that chair-"

Elphaba shook her head. "That chair had never had magic cast on it before. The broom will have a small measure of immunity to any spell I try to cast on it now. So that's why I need to find it!"

Glinda grabbed Elphaba's hand and pulled her into the pink room that belonged to the shorter girl. Glinda quickly walked over to the closet and pulled out the broom. She held it out to Elphaba. "Here, get on."

Elphaba smiled at the memory of when she had said that to Glinda. She gripped the handle tightly and quickly sat on it. She thought about flight for one second and then it gently started to rise. _Thank Oz, _Elphaba thought to herself.

She circled the room twice before gently landing and placing the broom back in the closet. She and Glinda exchanged a brief look of relief before Fiyero came to wrap his arms around Elphaba's waist. He trailed kisses down her neck before she pushed his head away. At his hurt expression she told him that now was not the time.

After a few minutes Elphaba's stomach rumbled. She smiled, embarrassed and went to go and get some food. She went to put on one of her black dresses and then told Glinda and Fiyero that she would just be going down to the kitchens but once she was far away from them, she grabbed and long black cloak out of one of the closets, put the hood up and walked out the back door of the palace.

It felt good to finally be outside the palace walls. She wandered for a few minutes, until she reached the market that was being held. She made sure the hood was down over face as she looked at the wares. As was expected nearly everything was green. When she felt in the inside pocket of the cloak, she found a pair of black gloves and a few coins.

She was about to buy a piece of fruit from one of the stalls when she heard a small child crying. Ignoring it she paid for the food and walked off. But the further she got away, the louder the cries became. She eventually looked around for the child that was making all the noise.

Elphaba followed the sound down a dark alleyway until she reached a door frame. Huddled in it was a small child.

It was a young girl with a dirty face and clothes made from rags. There were tear streaks running down her cheeks and her dark brown hair was knotted and tangled. Elphaba looked up and down the street and then awkwardly crouched down in front of the distressed toddler.

"Excuse me," she cleared her throat as she tried to think of how to talk to a small child. "Where's your mother or father?"

The girl stopped crying long enough to rub at her eyes with one chubby hand and say, "I don't have any."

Elphaba's eyebrows furrowed. If the girl didn't have any parents then why was she out here and not in the orphanage? "Where do you live?" She asked.

The girl shrugged her shoulders. Elphaba tried a different tactic. "I'm...Elphaba." She thought about giving her code name but thought better of it. "What's your name?"

The girl looked up at Elphaba with dark green eyes that seemed almost too big for her small face. "I'm Torrisa."

Elphaba smiled, although the girl probably couldn't see it. "Torrisa. That's a pretty name. Better than Elphaba, anyway."

The young girl placed her thumb in her mouth and shook her head. She took out her thumb long enough to say, "I think Elphaba is a pretty name. You can be called Fabala." At Elphaba's shocked expression she said, "I had a friend named Elphaba. I don't know where she is now. Ever since Mama and Papa went up there," she pointed towards the sky, "I've been on my own."

Elphaba sat back on her heels as she thought. She couldn't just leave the girl here and she could go and get help because of her skin. So she made a decision. "Torrisa?" The girl locked eyes with her again. "Would you like...to come home with me?"

Torrisa nodded her head eagerly. Elphaba spoke again. "But, first there's something you need to know about me." Elphaba pulled one of the gloves off her hand and showed it to Torrisa.

Torrisa reached out a hand and touched Elphaba's green skin. "You're green," she said simply. Elphaba nodded. "I think it's pretty."

A smile broke out on Elphaba's face and she asked Torrisa again if she would like to live in the Emerald Palace. Torrisa said yes and reached up for Elphaba to pick her up. Elphaba looked a little uncertain before picking up the small girl and placing her on her hip.

Torrisa was too young to know of the Wicked Witch of the West. She was just happy that someone was being nice to her.

Elphaba made sure her glove was back on and her hood pulled over far enough before she set off back to the Emerald Palace.

*

Elphaba hurried through the large doors of the palace and up the grand staircase. She could feel Torrisa turning to look around at everything. Elphaba felt a soft smile form on her face because she had done nearly the same thing when she first arrived at the Emerald Palace.

She went to the room that she shared with Fiyero and placed Torrisa on the bed as she let the cloak drop to the floor. Torrisa was still looking at everything.

Elphaba asked her to stay on the bed and Torrisa nodded. Elphaba left the room, softly closing the door behind her.

She took in a deep breath before walking back into the room Fiyero and Glinda were still sitting in. Fiyero jumped up and hugged Elphaba close to him, with a big smile on his face.

"It's nice to see you too, Yero, but...it's also nice to be able to breathe." Fiyero released Elphaba and she laughed at his sorry expression. She gave him a peck on his cheek and smiled widely at Glinda who was watching them with a gentle smile on her face.

Elphaba cleared her throat and felt suddenly nervous. "I have something to tell you...and someone to introduce to you."

Fiyero went and sat back down on the couch he had inhabited since Elphaba had been gone. His eyebrows were pulled together as he opened his mouth to ask a question. Elphaba made a gesture for him to keep quiet.

Elphaba retreated out of the room and gently knocked on her room's door. "Torrisa? It's me, Elphaba. I'm coming in."

She opened the door to see the toddler was still sitting on the bed. Elphaba picked her up in to her arms and noticed how light she felt. She looked at Torrisa properly and noticed how skinny she was. She pushed aside the worry for later.

"Torrisa, you're going to meet two more people. My friends." The small girl nodded. "They're names are Glinda and Fiyero."

Torrisa tried out their names on her tongue and nodded again, placing her thumb in her mouth and starting to suck on it.

Elphaba smiled. "Fiyero's...different. Like I am."

Torrisa took out her thumb to speak. "Is he a colour too?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No, he's...well, he's a scarecrow."

Torrisa giggled. "Fiyero the Scarecrow!"

Elphaba laughed lightly too. "Yes."

Elphaba carried Torrisa to the other room and used her hip to push the door back open. She took in her friends shocked expressions at seeing Torrisa and took in another deep breath.

"Glinda, Fiyero, meet Torrisa."

**Sorry for the long wait everyone! And I'm hoping this long chapter will make up for it? Maybe we'll get the review count up to 40 with this chapter! *Hint* **

**Cherry x**


	11. Defying Gravity

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews everyone! And thank you to those who have read and not reviewed! **

**Sorry about the introduction of yet another OC, but Torrisa is the last. Probably. No really she is.**

**Chapter 11-Defying Gravity**

Glinda's mouth dropped open at the sight of the small girl in her friend's arms. "Elphaba," she breathed, horror struck, "What have you done now?"

Elphaba clutched the child closer to her defensively. "Her parents are gone and she was all alone. I couldn't just leave her out there on the streets!"

Fiyero stood up again and walked slowly over to where Elphaba stood with an angry expression on her face, which was flushed a darker green. "Fae?"

Her head whipped around so she was glaring at him. Torrisa had buried her head in Elphaba's shoulder and clutched the fabric of the dress Elphaba was wearing in her fists. "What?" Elphaba snapped.

Fiyero swallowed. "It's just...how do you expect to be able to care for a child?"

Elphaba looked down at he floor for a moment and then at Torrisa. "I couldn't leave her. To live a life without love...without a true home. I couldn't..." Elphaba trailed off as tears entered her eyes.

She knew how it felt to never be truly loved as a child, she had lived it. It may have made her who she was, but she wouldn't wish that on anyone. She brushed the tears away with the back of her hand and then tried to coax Torrisa to look at Fiyero.

Torrisa's head came up and she looked at Fiyero with wide scared eyes. Fiyero managed to smile at her and Torrisa considered him for a few moments before smiling tentatively back. She stretched out a small hand and waved her fingers at him. Fiyero's smile became more genuine.

"Well, she is sweet..."

Glinda was still in shock and sat perfectly still on the couch. She couldn't believe what was happening in front of her. Elphaba was carrying a small child and she and Fiyero were doting on her. Glinda could feel the heat in her face. She was happy for Elphaba and Fiyero, she was, but this had always been her dream. Not Elphaba's. She could barely watch.

Glinda snapped out of her trance. "Yes, Elphaba, how do you expect to care for the child? You're a wanted criminal, as is Fiyero. All you'd be doing to that girl is giving her a life on the run. Forever trying to stay away from the guards and the Gale Force. Do you really want that for her?"

Glinda's tone was sharp and Elphaba had a shocked expression on her face as she looked at her best friend. Glinda's hands were in fists at her side and there were tears brimming in her eyes. Glinda shook her head, angry at herself for the easy tears. Elphaba handed Torrisa to Fiyero, and walked over to the blonde girl.

Elphaba laid a hand on Glinda's shoulder. "Glinda, please-"

Glinda had finally had it and cut her off as shrugged the hand off her shoulder. "No, for once _you _listen to _me, _Elphaba Thropp! You gave me that stupid book, and told me I'd have to learn to read it! You said that I wasn't allowed to clear your name, to offer myself that little piece of comfort! _You_ left me, let me think you were dead, let me mourn for you! Do you know how that felt?"

Elphaba could feel the steely expression don her face as she became angrier. "Yes," she said quietly, "I do know how it feels. I thought _you _were dead. And I'm sorry for what I did to you, I am, but it was to protect you. At least...at least you didn't have to see the only real friend you've ever had, just lie on a bed, looking as if she was sleeping but knowing she'd never wake up!"

Glinda was just angrier and more enraged as Elphaba spoke. They were both glaring at each other and both of them looked furious. Fiyero decided to leave them to it and took Torrisa out of the room.

Elphaba folded her arms over her chest and stared down at Glinda. Glinda's eyes were slits as she glared at the green woman. Elphaba became too frustrated to stay staring down at the smaller woman. She threw her arms up in the air and let out a humph of annoyance. She stormed over to the door and didn't look back at Glinda as she slammed the door behind her.

Glinda could feel the anger slip away and her lip started to tremble. She collapsed to the floor, her head in her hands as she sobbed. _What have I done now?_ She thought to herself.

*

Elphaba stalked into her room, slamming that door as well. She let out a near shriek of anger and felt like she wanted to kick something. Fiyero glanced up from where he was sat on the bed with Torrisa. He told the young girl to stay where she was and he stood and walked over to Elphaba.

Fiyero wrapped his stuffed arms around Elphaba and held her close to his chest. She struggled for a moment before leaning into his embrace. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "Fiyero," she mumbled, "what have done now? Every good thing that ever happens to me always seems to bring something bad with it."

Fiyero didn't try to tell her differently or say anything, instead he just let her cry quietly. He ran one hand down her hair and the other he placed on the small of her back. They stood quietly for a moment before they heard a small pitter patter of feet walking towards them. They both turned to look down at Torrisa who was stood next to them with her arms held up to Elphaba. Elphaba scooped her up and placed the toddler on her hip. Torrisa took a long look at her before reaching out and wiping away Elphaba's tears.

"Don't cry, Aba. Don't cry," Torrisa told her.

Elphaba smiled at the way Torrisa said her name. She sniffed and nodded. "OK, Torrisa."

Torrisa nodded seriously to herself and then made movements that she wanted to placed back on the floor. Elphaba complied and watched as Torrisa walked away.

Elphaba took in the child's clothes and, if only to take her mind off her argument with Glinda, went off in search of some new clothes. She told Fiyero to give Torrisa a bath whilst she was gone and shut the door firmly behind her. She walked down the corridor, wondering where they might keep clothes in the palace.

She stopped outside a door claiming it was a wardrobe and went inside. In it were racks upon racks of dresses, each varying in size. Elphaba walked down the long room until she reached the racks that held small children's clothing. She looked over the dresses until she spotted some more practical clothing. She grabbed three of the dresses, some other essentials and ran. Once she was out of the room she memorised the way there, in case she should need it again.

Her trip hadn't taken more than twenty minutes so she was surprised that, when she returned to her room, there were still sounds of splashing coming from the bathroom. She placed the clothes on the bed. Elphaba walked cautiously across the room to the bathroom door and opened it.

Fiyero was sitting next to the bath with Torrisa wrapped in a towel across from him. They both had one hand in the bath, which was still full of water and were splashing each other with it. Elphaba coughed, to announce her presence and Fiyero looked up at her with a guilty expression on his face.

Torrisa looked up at Elphaba, who had one eyebrow raised at them, and giggled. Then she put her hand back in the water and splashed Elphaba.

Elphaba stood in shock for a moment before a smile broke out on her face and she scooped up Torrisa and spun her around. The bathroom was soaked and so was Elphaba. Fiyero had stood up from where he had been kneeling next to the bathtub and picked up Elphaba bridal style and spun her around. Elphaba laughed and told him to stop. Fiyero reluctantly agreed and put Elphaba down. Elphaba shook her head at him, causing small droplets of water from her hair to hit him in the face.

Elphaba carried Torrisa into the next room and helped her dry off. Elphaba then asked the small girl which of the dresses she wanted to wear and once it was chosen, helped her into it. Elphaba then sat the small girl on her lap in front of the vanity table in the bathroom, which Fiyero was still drying off, and started to gently brush her hair.

As Elphaba brushed, her mind wandered. She was still worried over Glinda and their argument. After she had brushed Torrisa's hair, she decided, she would go and apologise to Glinda. After she had the choice she felt better and set her mind on the task of removing the tangles from the long brown hair.

*

Glinda could hear the laughter echoing through the walls from the next room and sighed. At least Elphaba was alright. Glinda rubbed under her eyes again and went to sit on the bed. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them.

She looked sadly around her room and sighed again. She wanted to go and see Elphie, but she didn't want to intrude on their little family moment. She jumped at the knock on the door and walked slowly over to the door to answer it.

Everyone was supposed to think she was dead. So why was someone knocking on her door?

Glinda tried to look through the little hole to see who it was, but she was too short. She unlocked the door and opened it.

Stood outside it was the Tin Man. Her eyebrows rose in shock, just as his did the same. "Miss Glinda?"

She cleared her throat. "Yes?"

The Tin Man asked if he could be let into the room and she obliged. She offered him a seat on the sofa and he gratefully took it. He looked around the room for a few awkward moments of silence before Glinda spoke.

"So what brings you to the Emerald City?" She asked, trying to sound cheerful.

The Tin Man looked up at her, a worried expression on his face. "Well, to be frank...you."

Glinda was taken aback. "Me? How so?"

"I heard about your speech...and I came as quickly as I could."

Glinda placed a hand over her heart. "But, I still don't understand...why?"

The Tin Man stood and walked over to stand next to her. He took her hand in his and sighed sadly. "You really don't know who I am, do you?"

Glinda shook her head. "All I know about you is that you helped Miss Dorothy kill the Wicked Witch of the West." Her voice contorted on the last few words. She blinked away the tears that appeared in her eyes at the memory.

The Tin Man sighed again. "You've known me much longer than that, Miss Glinda. I've known you since you were Miss _Ga_linda. Back when we were in Shiz."

Glinda snatched her hand away from the cold metal of his. "I don't know who you are, because I certainly never knew anyone made of tin in university."

"No," the Tin Man replied, "But you did know a Munchkin. And you always said his name wrong. You always called him...Biq."

Glinda's eyes widened in recognition. "Boq? Is that you?"

Boq nodded his head. "Yes, Glinda, it's me. I was...cursed by Elph-the Witch."

Glinda stared at him angrily. "You-you knew her! You knew she could never be wicked! And you went to kill her anyway! I hate you...you tried to kill her!"

Boq became angry as well. "She did this to me! I had reasons to want to kill her!"

"She probably had good reasons for doing to you in the first place!"

There came another knock on the door and Glinda went to answer it. She pulled the door open, her livid expression softening when she saw who it was. Then a look of fear passed over her face as she looked between the new comer and Boq.

"It's you!" Boq shouted.

Elphaba strode into the room, hands on her hips. "Yes, Boq it is me."

Boq's hand shook as he pointed at her. "But-but we k-killed you!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes at him. "I swear all of Oz must have mush for brains! Boq have you ever heard of water melting a person before? No, well then I must be an exception to rule. Oh, wait, no I'm not, because I'm alive!"

Glinda stood between them and shouted for them to stop. They both looked at her and she glared at them both. "Shouting at each other is not helping anybody."

Elphaba and Boq both nodded and Elphaba unfolded her arms an let them fall to her side. Boq let out a huff of air he had been holding.

Glinda smiled slightly at both of them. "Good. Now, Elphaba did you have a good reason for doing this to Boq?"

Elphaba scowled. "Yes," she spat through her teeth, "I did. Nessarose shrunk your heart and nearly killed you. Whereas I managed to save you."

Boq's mouth fell open. "But...Nessarose told me-"

Elphaba interrupted. "Whatever she told you would have been a lie. I arrived, cast that spell on her shoes for her, she called you, you arrived, told her you were leaving, she cast that spell wrong, you nearly died, I saved you and then I left. And that is what happened."

Boq finally managed to shut his mouth and glared at the green woman. "Why should I believe you?"

Elphaba started pacing. "You don't have to, but it is the truth. Please, Boq," she pleaded, "Why would I want to hurt you this way?"

Boq looked her over for a second. He remembered, for an instant, the girl he had known at Shiz. The sarcastic young woman; who, once she had made friends with Glinda, had smiled a lot or had her nose in a book. The girl who had dreamed of meeting the Wizard, who loved to learn, who wanted nothing more than to be excepted for once. The girl who would care for her sister like a slave for a master. He could remember that girl.

But he could also remember hearing about when she disobeyed the Wizard. When she became a criminal and went into hiding. When she turned him into tin.

"I don't know why," Boq replied to her question. "But you did. Maybe you were in a particularly bad mood and decided to take it out on me. But you and your sister were both wicked!"

Glinda could feel the frustration welling up inside her. Why couldn't Boq just see reason? Elphaba looked just as annoyed as Glinda felt and she looked ready to kick Boq's head off of his tin shoulders and use it as a football.

Elphaba pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a long breath. She counted to ten and then put her hands back on her hips. "Boq, believe what you want, I couldn't care less!"

Glinda could see that her friend was lying and went to put a hand on her shoulder. Elphaba smiled at Glinda and Boq watched them in amazement. How could they still be friends after all that had happened?

"Glinda," Boq heard Elphaba murmur, "I'm sorry about before-"

Glinda held up a hand to silence her. "No, I'm sorry. I was...jealous, I suppose. Can we start again with me meeting Torrisa?"

Boq interrupted them. "Who is Torrisa?"

Elphaba shot him a fierce glare. "No one you need to be worried about. Come on Glinda."

Elphaba turned on her heel and walked towards the door, holding it open for Glinda to follow her. Glinda told her she would be one minute. She walked over to Boq and stood in front of him.

"Boq, you are welcome to stay here in the palace, as long as you don't tell anyone of Elphaba's presence, or my being alive. And please don't be rude to my best friend again."

Glinda left the room with a shocked Boq in her wake. She saw that Elphaba had waited for her in the hallway. She smiled at the green woman and Elphaba returned the smile.

Elphaba opened the door and walked in. Torrisa looked up from were she had been looking at Elphaba's books and ran over to the green woman. Elphaba picked her up and gestured for Glinda to enter.

Torrisa looked at Glinda, remembering that she had made her Aba cry. She didn't like her.

Elphaba spotted the look on the young girl's face, a very serious glare. "Torrisa, this is my best friend Glinda."

Torrisa looked up at her in disbelief. "But you were fighting before."

Elphaba nodded. "All friends have fallings out sometimes. Glinda Torrisa, Torrisa Glinda."

Glinda stepped forward, a kind smile on her face. "Hello Miss Torrisa. My, I like your hair. Very pretty."

Torrisa smiled at the compliment. "I like yours too."

Torrisa believed Elphaba about Glinda being her best friend and soon was getting on fine with her. Elphaba and Fiyero watched as Glinda played with the small girl. They held each others hand and smiled. Maybe things could work out after all.

*

Nizava shook her head, finally coming out of her trance. She fell to the floor with a thump as the rest of the spell dissipated. She grunted when she landed painfully on the cold stones.

She sat up and noticed that the house was eerily quiet, which meant that she was all alone. She nearly screamed with her anger but held it inside as she stalked up to the tower room. She muttered a spell that repaired the windows and collapsed on to one of the sofas.

Anvesa materialized next to her. "You shouldn't have held Elphaba here. That was stupid."

Nizava rubbed her temples. "I know," she hissed, "what _brilliant _plans have you come to tell me of, oh darling sister of mine?"

Anvesa rolled her eyes at her twin. "One," she held up a finger, "I heard that the green freak has taken in a child, so that's another opportunity for a plan. Two," she held up another finger, "You still haven't gotten to the scarecrow yet."

Nizava pushed her sister with one hand. "Why can't you help me?"

"_Because_ they believe that I'm the good twin. I can't start revealing my true personality all of a sudden. How ever much I _despise _being all goody two shoes, I have to if we want our plan to succeed."

Nizava collapsed back against the back of the sofa. "I guess you're right."

Nizava's glazed eyes became clear for a second as she asked her sister, "Esa, why are we doing this anyway?"

Anvesa quickly muttered the mind control spell under breath and watched as her sister slipped unconscious. "Can't have you being the good one again, now can we?"

Once she was sure that her sister was under her control again, Anvesa disappeared to plot the next stage of her plan. 

**OK, even for me, that ending was unexpected. So reviews will inspire updates! *hint***

**By the way, is it really stupid for me to have been excited for this chapter, just because the name was going to be Defying Gravity? Yes? Oh, well, I'm a fan girl.**

**Cherry x**


	12. Thank Goodness

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone!**

**P.S. I'm thinking (shock I know) of changing the name of this fanfic. One of the considerations is: 'My Own Worst Enemy'. Anyone got any better ideas?**

**Chapter 12-Thank Goodness**

Elphaba stood outside on the balcony of her and Fiyero's room. It was dark and Glinda, Fiyero and Torrisa were all asleep.

She stood in the still darkness with her eyes closed and trying to picture the peacefulness of some of her favourite hideouts, but with most of the city still awake with her, it was a difficult task. She sighed and opened her eyes.

Elphaba rested her forearms on the railing and stared up at the sky. The star's twinkled back down at her. She let her eyes wander and spotted a small ledge.

She walked over to it and looked above it. It seemed to lead up to a piece of flat roof. She gripped it with both hands and pulled herself up.

After a few minutes of climbing she reached the small space. One side of the edge just dropped down to the street below. The others sloped steeply upwards to the higher sections of roof.

Elphaba sat on the slate and let her legs dangle over the side. She found that she felt much more isolated up there and this pleased her. She gazed up at the sky again, absently noting the names of the different stars.

She looked over to the moon, it was full, a complete sphere. It bathed everything in a white light. There was no colour in the City of Emeralds with that moon hanging above it. Elphaba looked at her hand clasped in her lap and smiled when she could that they too were bleached into whiteness. Then the smile vanished as she remembered when she had looked that way in the sunlight. She looked away from her skin.

She watched the people passing by in the streets, the ones who never thought to look up to the rooftops. From the great height at which she sat, they looked like Nessa's toy town with its tiny inhabitants. Elphaba sighed at the thought of her baby sister. She didn't let any of her tears fall down her face at the grief she felt.

Elphaba let her mind wander again, back to when she was younger and would sit at the window seat in her childhood room. She would stare at the stars then, pretending that Melena was up there. She would talk to her mother, as if she was really there. She could tell Melena her secrets, her worries, her troubles. That was until Frex found out. He scolded her for even daring to say her mother's name and told her that she wasn't worthy of a family. "Look what you've done to your sister," he had said. "My precious little girl."

The nine year old had muttered, "Why can't I be your precious little girl too?"

Frex had been outraged. He had slapped her across the face and ordered her to be locked in a cupboard for the night.

Elphaba didn't talk to Melena after that.

The present day Elphaba shook her head, so clouded with unpleasant memories. She watched as thick clouds were blown across the moon and blocked out the stars. She jumped at the first clap of thunder and the flash of lightning that came before it. She held out a hand to feel the rain that started to fall.

Elphaba acknowledged the downpour that had started, and the fact that she was getting soaked to the bone, but she didn't act on it. She stared down below herself, were the partygoers and drunken people hurried to get to some sort of shelter. She continued to swing her legs.

She could feel the water running down her face, causing her hair to stick to her head. She ran her hands though it, not really doing anything to remove the moisture. She could feel the cold of the water as it seemed though her nightdress. She turned her face up towards the sudden rainfall.

Elphaba's head shot down to the streets as she heard a loud noise, almost like of a gunshot. She muttered a spell under her breath and watched as her broom floated beside her. She quickly jumped on it and soared downwards to investigate the ruckus.

She glided down in the direction of the noise and was shocked to see a Tiger being attacked by two members of the Gale Force. She scowled and willed her broom to go faster.

She crashed into one of the Gale Forcers who had moved at the last moment. She was thrown off the broom and hit the wall on the other side of the alleyway head first. She sat up dizzily and blinked in the sudden light of one of the Gale Forcer's torches. She held up a hand to block out the light.

She spotted that the Tiger was still just standing there, her hands in fists. "Run!" Elphaba shouted to her. The Tiger gave her a long look and then ran in the opposite direction of the Gale Forcers, both of whom were too busy staring at Elphaba's complexion.

"It's the-the Wicked Witch!" One of them finally stuttered. Elphaba rolled her eyes and heaved herself to her feet, using the wall as a support. She pushed of the wall and swayed on her feet for a few seconds before managing to stand upright.

Both Gale Forcers now had their guns out and were pointing them at Elphaba. Elphaba knew that her head was bleeding, she could feel the warmth of the liquid as it ran down the back of her head. She could see that the chances of her winning a fight against them were low, if not none existent.

Elphaba held up her hands in surrender. One of the Gale Forcers, a new recruit, panicked thinking that she was going to cast a spell. He fired his gun.

Elphaba felt the sharp pain as the bullet cut through the skin of her shoulder. She cried out as she fell to the dirty alley floor. She tried to push herself up to her hands and knees, but managed to slice her palm on a piece of broken glass. She gritted her teeth as she thought, _this really isn't my night._

The Gale Forcers were soon stood over her, one grabbing her wrists and snapping handcuffs on them. She let out a hiss of pain as she was hoisted to her feet. "Let. Me. Go," she managed to pant between painful gasps of air.

The more experienced Gale Forcer pushed her forwards. "Not a chance, Witch. We're taking you to the cells."

She stumbled through the streets of the Emerald City, feeling the only just repaired skin on the soles of her feet break, letting even more of her life force paint the Emerald City's back alleys.

She nearly passed out from blood loss a few times but managed to carry on walking. She stared numbly at the door leading down to the Palace dungeons. The Gale Forcers lead her down the stone stairs to the dark room filled with metal bars. To her surprise they took her passed the cells she and Fiyero had been thrown in the last time.

The newer of the Gale Forcers threw her though a large thick open door. She landed and cursed as she hit her shoulder on the straw covered floor. The other Gale Forcer walked in and took off her handcuffs. As he went to walk away, she made a snap at his hand with her teeth, narrowly missing. He chuckled darkly and then said, "Feisty. It'll be fun torturing you."

She gazed up at him in horror. He smirked at her expression. "We've locked you in here," he tapped the door on his way out, "because in here...no one can hear you scream or shout. Much more peaceful."

And then he slammed the door shut. The cell was cast into complete darkness and Elphaba ran to the door and started hammering on it was her fists. She screamed and shouted and cursed for over an hour before collapsing against it, sobbing into her knees. She could feel the terror seep into her mind from the dark. She knew it was irrational, but she couldn't stop herself.

She fell into a fitful sleep a little while later, her dreams turning into nightmares.

*

Fiyero's eyes snapped open. He couldn't see much, but his eyes adjusted. He felt around for Elphaba in the other side of the bed but all his hands could grasp at were empty sheets. He looked over in that direction and saw that the side of the place Elphaba usually occupied was indeed lacking Elphaba's sleeping form.

Fiyero's eyebrows rose in surprise as he got out of bed. He looked at the bathroom door, half expecting to be able to see a light coming from under it. But the strip under the door remained dark.

Fiyero let his eyes wander the room. He calmed somewhat when he spotted the open balcony door. He let a small smile spread on his face as he went out to join her.

Once out on the balcony, he was surprised to see that Elphaba was nowhere to be seen. He scratched his head, perplexed, as he noticed that it had been raining. He looked around the balcony for any sign that Elphaba had been there and spotted the edge that Elphaba had used to climb up to the roof.

Fiyero decided to try and look up there and hauled himself up using his arms. Once he was up on the small flat piece of roof he was disappointed to see that it was empty. He casually looked down at the streets below as he thought of the safest way to get back to the balcony when something caught his eye.

He jumped down the balcony, throwing caution to the wind. He raced down the Emerald Palaces many staircases until he was out in the dark wet streets of the Emerald City. He ran as quickly as his legs could carry him to the alley where he had spotted it. He picked it up and looked it over there was no doubt in his mind as to what it was.

It was Elphaba's broom.

Fiyero could tell because it had the engraving of her hat on the handle and her initials next to it. He took a closer look at the alleyway and noticed with horror the small pools of blood congealing here and there. He held the broom in a tighter grip as he hurried back to the Emerald Palace.

*

Elphaba woke up groggily a few hours later to an insistent banging noise. She sat up, holding her head as it spun. She let out a low groan of pain and cracked open her eyes to see the wide door open. She quickly tried to stand but ended up on the floor again.

The man standing in the doorway laughed at her and she glared up at him. She shook her head, trying to get her hair out of her face and waited for him to say something to her.

"So, you're the fearsome 'Wicked Witch of the West'?" He said once he had controlled himself.

Elphaba didn't dignify that with an answer.

The man continued. "You look too scrawny to be 'wicked'. How old are you? Twenty seven? Twenty eight?"

Elphaba spit a bit of blood out of her mouth as she muttered, "Twenty three."

The guard whistled. Then he chuckled. "We'll have fun with you."

Elphaba looked down at the floor she felt the hopelessness of the situation wash over her. She only looked up again when she heard the sound of footsteps coming towards her. She was grabbed roughly by the arm and pulled to her feet. She was pushed out of the cell and into the harsh light of the corridor, causing her to shield her eyes.

The man, different to the two that had captured her, pushed Elphaba down the hall, not even bothering to handcuff her. He shoved her though a door into a circular room with shackles embedded into the stone walls at about shoulder height.

Elphaba stared at them for a moment before the man grabbed one of her wrists, snapping the metal of the shackles around it. This made Elphaba painfully aware of how skinny her wrists were, but they were not skinny enough to escape. The guard repeated the action with the wrists. She let out a small grunt of pain as the movement jostled her injured shoulder. Elphaba was now facing the wall and unable to turn around, she could only look over her shoulder. She knew what was happening before she heard the snap of the whip and then the searing pain across her back.

She gritted her teeth, the eyes screwing shut with the effort not to scream. She slumped, the metal cutting into the skin of her wrists the only thing holding her up. She managed to get her feet back under her and she looked over her shoulder at the grinning ogre wielding the whip.

"Why don't you just kill me, like you tried to last time?" She questioned the tall blond man who stood next to the short man performing the torture.

He shrugged and his dark eyes glinted dangerously. "We decided we might as well have some fun with you first. Anyway, we might get some valuable information out of you."

Elphaba scowled, but before she could reply she felt the pain across her back again, catching her off guard. She let out a bloodcurdling scream.

And so it continued.

*

Fiyero had alerted Glinda to the situation and they were both up and trying to figure out where Elphaba might be. They had decided to let Torrisa sleep, and Fiyero was glad she wasn't up to see them panicking.

"Where could she be?" Glinda questioned again.

Fiyero stopped his pacing for a moment to turn and face her. "I don't know, Glinda, how could I possibly know?!"

Glinda glared up at him from her seat on the sofa in her room, which was were they where. "I was just airing a thought, Fiyero, no need to get mad at me!"

There was a tentative knock on the door. Fiyero stormed over to the door and wrenched it open, a furious expression on his face.

"Tin Man?" Fiyero's fury briefly became confusion.

Boq looked at Fiyero with the same confused expression. "Scarecrow? What are you-"

Glinda interrupted them. "Fiyero-Boq, Boq-Fiyero." She gestured between them.

Both of the males looked at each other and then jumped back a little as recognition dawned on them both. Then before any questions could be asked, Fiyero remembered what Boq had tried to do to Elphaba.

"You," he pointed an accusing finger at Boq, "you tried to kill her!"

Glinda rolled her eyes. "Fiyero, Boq and I have already been over this. And he won't believe me."

Fiyero remembered the reason that he was in Glinda's room in the first place and he rounded on Boq, pushing him up against a wall. "Did you tell them that Elphaba was here?!"

Boq looked at him with frightened eyes. "No, I assure you, I have told no one of her presence here! I swear!"

Fiyero muttered to himself incoherently and released Boq. He started pacing across the room again.

Glinda walked to Boq's side. "Boq," she addressed him. "Have you seen Elphaba anywhere?"

Boq snorted. "Well, if you don't count that incident this afternoon-"

Fiyero turned to face Boq again, fury etched into his features. "For all I know the woman I love is dead, or near enough, so be serious!"

"No, I haven't seen her," Boq stuttered out.

Fiyero threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

*

All she could feel was pain...so much pain...

Elphaba had to be dragged back to her cell. She was thrown unceremoniously to the floor and lay there for a long time, letting a few tears leak down her face. She knew that her back and her nightgown were ripped to shreds. Much like her sense of strength.

She shivered and finally started to drag herself in the general direction of the wooden plank that was supposed to function as a bed. She grabbed the scratchy woollen blanket off of the bed and wrapped it around her front. She didn't want anything to touch her back.

She drifted in and out of sleep again. She dreamt of Fiyero, Glinda, Torrisa, her mother, her father and so many others. She only awoke when she could smell burning.

She looked up at the guard, the one from earlier, who stood once again in the doorway. His form was only a black shape against the light. She tried to scowl at him but was too tired to do so.

"Hey, Witch," she could hear the sneer in his voice, "you know what that smell is?"

She shook her head, which caused the soldier to laugh again. "Well, let's just say we found your straw friend..."

She was suddenly wide awake. "No," she gasped in horror, "no, not Fiyero...not him...no, you're lying!"

He had to be lying, she could loose Fiyero, not again, he must have been lying to her, just trying to get her vulnerable. She started shaking as she looked up at him with pleading eyes. It had to be a joke, some cruel elaborate joke...they would just be burning some bits of random straw...that was all...Fiyero could be dead...not after all they'd been through...

The man chuckled. "Sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all, "but this is no joke."

"NO!" She screeched, "FIYERO!"

**I am a terrible person aren't I? *Cackles* Ahem, sorry about that. Anyway, the offer still stands for pelting me with virtual fruit. Review!**

**Cherry x**


	13. Wonderful

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**Thank you for all the reviews! Wow over 50!**

**P.S: I am listening to the Wicked audio book and I haven't gotten to the end yet. I know what happens (damn you spoilers) but I haven't gotten there yet. So if this sounds like the end, or is completely wrong then that's the reason.**

**P.S.S: This chapter contains some swearing. You have been warned.**

**Chapter 13-Wonderful**

Elphaba collapsed against the cold unforgiving floor, sobs wrenching though her body. The guard looked aghast at her emotional display and quickly closed the door on her.

Elphaba didn't look up as the door slammed closed. All she could think about was the fact that Fiyero was dead, gone. She could still smell the burning even with the door closed. She let out a feral scream.

She could feel the tears as they ran freely down her face. The grief in her heart completely took away the feeling of pain the rest of her battered body. She knelt, curled in on herself, on the straw covered floor, another reminder of Fiyero.

She couldn't save him, not this time, this time she couldn't even try. She didn't have the Grimmerie this time, and she didn't have the energy. She tried to remember the spell she had cast what felt like a lifetime ago. But that would only turn him into a Scarecrow again, and then he hadn't been dead already.

She gripped the blanket closer around her shaking form and started coughing, choking on her sobs. She gasped for breath for a few minutes before she continued mourning for her dead love.

She couldn't imagine a worse pain. Losing everything but Fiyero wouldn't hurt this much.

She started saying his name to herself, quietly at first, and then she started shouting again. She stood, somewhat shakily, and stumbled over to the door. She hammered against the door again, this time just so she could get out and kill the bastards who had done this.

But the banging was as futile as it had been when she first arrived, and eventually she gave up. She sank so she was crouched in front of the thick wooden door. She wept bitterly as she cursed herself for not protecting Fiyero. What good was being a witch when she couldn't protect the ones she loved?

She wished she had a weapon of some kind, so she could just end her misery, but the cell was filled with nothing of the sort. Elphaba wished he could see something, anything, but the cell remained as black as most of Oz believed her soul to be. The blinding darkness seemed to envelop her in its clutches, not willing to let her go.

Elphaba stared into the silky darkness and wondered briefly why she had been so afraid of it before. It seemed harmless enough now, now that she wished something could take her mind off of Fiyero.

The tears continued to stream down her face. She could feel the sting of the salt water as it entered her wounds, but somehow at the same time, she could feel it. It was like she was numb to any pain other than the loss that ripped at what was left of her heart.

She nearly laughed to herself, but could quite bring herself to. Boq believed he needed a physical beating heart to be able to love and feel. But it didn't have anything to do with the living organ. Elphaba could feel it, beating hard under the protection of her ribs. It was there, pumping the vital liquid around her body. And yet...she couldn't feel.

She wrapped her arms around her chest. In the new position she lost her balance and feel on to her side. She heaved herself up with her arms and made her way to the plank. She sat on it wearily, and eventually lay down on her side.

She stared into the dark, willing sleep to come, but was unlucky. She just lay there for a few hours, not thinking, barely breathing.

Her tears eventually ran out. She could cry no more. Elphaba could feel the little pieces of whatever resemblance of sanity she had left float away into the abyss of her mind.

Soon after one of the guards brought her food. He stupidly opened the door and stood there for a moment, looking at her. She lifted up her head to stare back at him with empty eyes and his eyes widened at the state she was in. Her hands shook and the rest of her body suffered from slight tremors.

They looked at each other for a moment before the guard put down the tray of food. To do so he had to turn around, leaving Elphaba with easy reach to his knife. She took the opportunity.

She pulled the small dagger out of its sheath and held it at the guard's throat. He stood, surprised at the sudden feeling of cold metal against the soft flesh of his neck.

Elphaba pulled him down a little, so that he collapsed to his knees. "Tell me how to get out of here and you won't be hurt," she whispered in his ear.

The guard's voice shook as he told her how to escape. As did his hand as he handed her his set of keys. Elphaba smiled, the emotion not reaching her eyes, and took the keys from the guard. She tucked the dagger away just in case for later and quickly kneed the guard in the back of the head, knocking him out.

Elphaba looked up and down the corridor, making sure no one was there. Once she was sure, she dragged the unconscious guard on to the wooden plank that was supposed the cells bed and shut the heavy door behind her. Then she ran.

She managed to make it out onto the streets without too much trouble and she was glad she still had hold of the gray blanket. Elphaba wrapped it around her head like a shawl and ran for the exit to the city.

Once Elphaba was out of the city, she didn't give it a backwards glance. She didn't let herself think of Torrisa or Glinda. Glinda could care for the small girl. She had lived without Elphaba before and she could do it again.

Elphaba followed the Yellow Brick Road for awhile until she came upon the abandoned mansion. She grinned, one side of her mouth curling up. She spotted the lone white figure watching her from one of the upstairs windows. Nizava knew she was here then.

Elphaba walked up to the front door and started banging on it, ignoring the pain from when she had hit the wooden door earlier. It was soon answered by Nizava, who made a smirk of her own on her face.

"Why, Miss Elphaba, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Nizava asked, gesturing that Elphaba should go into the house.

Elphaba accepted the offer, her mind still unhinged. She made sure she had hold of the dagger under the blanket-shawl. She gripped it in her fist so hard that her knuckles turned white.

Nizava stepped aside as Elphaba stalked into the house. Her eyes glinted in the soft firelight from the entrance hall fireplace. Once Elphaba was inside, Nizava slammed the front door closed, causing Elphaba to jump.

Elphaba spun to face the younger girl pulling the dagger out from concealment. Nizava took a few steps back at the sight of the dagger and lost the arrogant look on her face. Elphaba's smirk became deep at the sight.

"Miss Nizava," she began, advancing on the girl, "Everyone believes me to be wicked, do they not? Well, I decided, why not give them a reason to think so?" Nizava went to duck through a nearby doorway, but Elphaba grabbed her wrist. "So then I thought, why not start with you?"

Nizava had a look of pure terror in her glazed over eyes as the dagger clutched in the green woman's hand glinted in the firelight. Elphaba was about to push the knife threw Nizava's chest when she noticed her eyes. The look in them, the pure fear, the way they looked unclear...Something clicked in Elphaba's mind and she released the teenager.

Nizava, surprised by her sudden freedom, fell ungracefully on her behind. She stared up at Elphaba, too scared to move. Elphaba lowered the dagger and finally let it fall to the floor with a clatter. She crouched so she was in front of Nizava and grasped the girl's hands with her own.

Elphaba could feel her mind return to its previous state, the more sane state, and she shook it to try and clear it a little. Once she felt a little better, she gazed into Nizava's eyes.

The eyes were a deep blue, and it would have been a pretty colour if they hadn't been so glazed over. Elphaba gripped Nizava's face with one hand when the younger witch tried to look away. Elphaba stared at her enemy's eyes for a few seconds more before releasing the girl and standing up again.

She started up the stairs and was halfway up when Nizava finally got over the shock. She stood up and brushed the dust off her dress. She followed Elphaba angrily up the stairs, the boots making a sharp contrast of sound to Elphaba's bare feet. Once Elphaba had reached the tower room she went and inspected the bookshelves that were against all the walls.

Nizava folded her arms over her chest wishing she didn't still feel so shook up after the incident downstairs. But as it was, she didn't dare do anything that might make the green woman mad. She was still brave enough to talk though.

"What are you looking for?"

Elphaba glanced up at Nizava with her dead eyes and, in a monotone, replied, "A spell book. With a very powerful spell in it."

Nizava rolled her eyes. "All the spell books in here are powerful."

Elphaba nodded as she continued her search. "I know. But I also know what I'm looking for."

Elphaba looked for a few minutes more before she found what she was looking for. She pulled out the book and blew the thin layer of dust of it. She held it in her hands for a moment before she opened it and started flicking through it. She went past what she was looking for and so ended up having to go backwards. She let a smile grace her face, yet another emotionless turning up of her lips, and stared down at the yellowing page.

Nizava walked over and peered over the older witch's shoulder. "What is a mind spell any good for?"

Elphaba looked up. "Not the spell itself. The counter spell." She stood and faced the short girl, book in hand. "Most spells can't be reversed, in fact probably none of them can, but some have a counter spell that will cancel out the previous one."

Nizava nodded impatient. "Yes, yes, I know that, but why do you want that counter spell?"

Elphaba stared at her for a long moment, making Nizava feel uncomfortable. "I believe you are under the influence of a mind control spell."

Nizava spluttered in shock as Elphaba dropped to her knees again with the spell book in front of her.

Elphaba knew that Nizava was wondering how she knew about that particular spell. The reason was that when Galinda had joined the sorcery seminar she had rushed out the library for probably the first time in her life. She had picked up the most impressive looking spell book and taken back to her room. She had attempted to perform the spell, it had backfired. Elphaba found her sitting on the floor of their room a few hours later, her eyes glazed over just like Nizava's. Elphaba had managed to find the counter and turn Galinda to normal. They never spoke of the incident again.

Elphaba started chanting, and before Nizava could protest she was stood still as a statue. She could only watch as Elphaba performed the spell that would release Nizava's mind from its restraints. After a few minutes, Elphaba stopped chanting and looked up at Nizava.

Nizava clutched her head and stared at Elphaba with wide eyes. Then she looked around herself. "Where's Anvesa?"

Elphaba smiled at the sound of Nizava's voice. It had lost the arrogance, and the harshness. Her normal voice was softer and innocent.

Elphaba stood off the floor and walked over to the frightened teenager. She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and gently led her to the sofa. She sat her down and sat next to her.

"Nizava, do you know who I am?" Elphaba kept her voice quiet.

Nizava nodded and looked at the floor. "Yes," she whispered, "you're Elphaba Thropp. I-" Nizava kept her face down as tears appeared in her eyes. "Why did you help me? After everything I did to you?"

Elphaba rubbed the girls shoulder. "Because, it wasn't really you. Who cast the spell on you anyway?"

Nizava brushed the tears away angrily. "Anvesa. She did this to me."

Elphaba sat back in shock. Anvesa? "Are you sure?" She questioned.

Nizava nodded. "Yes. It was her. And we should probably get out of here before she finds us and before she realises what you've done."

Nizava stood from the sofa and pulled Elphaba up with her. Elphaba followed the younger girl's lead down the stairs and out of the front door.

Nizava asked where they should go and, how ever painful it would be, Elphaba said that they should go to the Emerald Palace and explain everything to Glinda. Nizava agreed and let Elphaba lead them to the Palace.

Elphaba let a few tears pour down her face when she was in front of Nizava and the latter couldn't see her face. _Fiyero..._Her thoughts were consumed with grief as she walked back to the place where she had been caused so much pain. But it was for Glinda and everyone may benefit from it. So she carried on walking.

Once they had reached the palace she gazed up at the balcony to the room she had shared with Fiyero. She shook her head and averted her line of vision. Elphaba pushed the green door open and held it open for Nizava.

Nizava watched Elphaba wearily as the green woman led her through the maze that the Emerald Palace was. She didn't quite trust the woman just yet, Elphaba could be working with Anvesa.

Nizava's mind was suddenly full of worry and a tinge of fear. What would Anvesa do to her when she found out that Nizava was no longer under her power?

Elphaba finally arrived at the correct floor and took in a deep breath, readying herself for the rooms that lay beyond the entrance to the hallway. She opened the corridors door and walked down it, Nizava at her heels.

She finally arrived at Glinda's room and knocked on the door. She could hear Glinda mutter, 'Who is it now?' as she answered the door.

Glinda's face would have been comical if Elphaba hadn't been the way she was. "Elphie!" Glinda squealed and wrapped her arms around Elphaba's middle. Elphaba grimaced in pain and let out a low gasp. Glinda let go of her immediately and stared at her green friend.

"Elphaba, where have you been? I swear, if any of us have to go missing, it'll be you!" Elphaba rolled her eyes at the blonde woman.

"I've been a little busy. Being tortured tends to take it out of you." Elphaba replied as she sat gingerly on one of the seats. "Oh, and Nizava, you can come in now."

Glinda stared in horror as the dark haired girl walked self consciously into the room. "Elphaba, what is she doing here?!"

Elphaba waved her hand at her friend's outburst. "Glin, you remember that spell you cast on yourself in Shiz?"

Glinda's hands became fists at her side at the memory. "You mean the one you vowed not to speak of ever again?"

Elphaba chuckled emotionlessly. "Yes, that one. Nizava was under the influence of a mind control spell cast by Anvesa."

Glinda's mouth dropped open as she looked backwards and forwards between Elphaba and Nizava. Elphaba quickly dived into the explanation of the spell and its counterpart. After the tale was told, Elphaba slumped back against the sofa. She shot back up again, barely holding in a scream of pain.

Glinda made her friend let go of the blanket still covering her back and stood in horror at the sight that greeted her. Elphaba's back was crossed with many red lines, a few of them still bleeding. Glinda forced her friend to stand up and she pushed to the bathroom.

Once Elphaba was sitting on a backless chair, Glinda proceeded to wash the wounds. "Elphaba, what happened to you?"

Elphaba winced and let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding before answering. She told Glinda the whole story. Glinda had already finished washing and wrapping bandages around Elphaba's middle by the time Elphaba got to Fiyero's death.

Once Elphaba had said about Fiyero she collapsed forward, with her arms on the vanity table. She sobbed, not caring that Nizava and Glinda were watching her. "I got him killed!" Elphaba said between her sobs. "It's because of me!"

Glinda gently pulled her friend's head up and said, "Elphaba, follow me."

Elphaba nodded and gratefully took the handkerchief Glinda offered her. Glinda led her by the hand out of the pink room and to the one across from it. Elphaba started to protest but Glinda shushed her.

Glinda opened the door and pulled Elphaba in after her. Elphaba had her eyes firmly closed, not wishing to see the room. She heard a voice shout, "Aba!" she opened her eyes to see Torrisa running at her.

Torrisa ripped Elphaba's leg and Elphaba smiled wearily down at the toddler. "Hello, Torrisa."

Her head shot up when she heard her name, how ever. "Elphaba?"

There, sitting on the bed, was Fiyero.

**OK, so that felt like the right place to end it. I will have the happy couple reunited next chapter. And of course, I'm not so heartless as to kill Fiyero. Yet. *Cackles***

**Reviews inspire updates!**

**Cherry x**


	14. I'm Not That Girl Reprise

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**Chapter 14-I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)**

Elphaba stood in shock for a moment before running at Fiyero and flinging her arms around him. "Fiyero!" She cried whilst tears ran down her face. But unlike before, these were tears of joy.

Fiyero chuckled at Elphaba's exuberance and patted her back. "Fae?" Then he felt the moisture on his shoulder. "Elphaba? What's wrong?"

Elphaba shook her head. "I-I thou-thought y-you we-were d-dead!"

Fiyero wrapped his arms tightly arm Elphaba and positioned her so she was sat on his lap. Elphaba sobbed onto his shoulder, clutching the fabric of his shirt in her fists. She took in his scent, it was so _Fiyero_. She laughed through her tears.

Fiyero shot a worried glance over at Glinda, who just smiled back at them. "Elphaba? Where have you been?" He asked.

Glinda mouthed, "I'll tell you later," to which Fiyero nodded.

"Fae, why did you think I was dead?" Fiyero pulled Elphaba back a little so he could see her face.

Fiyero wiped away a few of her tears and Elphaba grabbed his hand before he could put it down again. She held it with her so tightly that, had be still been human, she would have cut off the circulation. She rubbed her nose on it, taking in even of Fiyero's smell. She closed her eyes and tried to get her crying under control.

Once she felt she had more of a hold on herself, she started explaining to Fiyero about how she had been captured and locked her up. When she finally got the part about the whipping, Fiyero looked livid to say the least. "I could kill the bastards that did that to you."

Elphaba stroked his jaw. "I know," she murmured, "But that's not important right now."

Elphaba carried on her tale in hushed whispers, so not to alarm Torrisa. Glinda was now sitting with the young girl, doing her brown hair in elaborate styles.

Fiyero looked even angrier, if that was possible, when Elphaba told him of how the guards had lied to her. She told him of how she had a little insane and she turned her head away, ashamed, when she admitted that she had nearly killed the guard.

Fiyero wiped a few more of her tears away and begged her to continue. She obliged.

Elphaba told him about going after Nizava and all that had happened afterwards. She didn't tell Fiyero about how she knew about the spell, however, for fear of Glinda's wrath.

Once she finished telling Fiyero the story, she rested her head back against Fiyero's stuffed shoulder. Fiyero stoked Elphaba's hair, and muttered in her ear that she should rest. Elphaba murmured something like, 'No' but eventually lost the fight with her eyelids.

Fiyero looked at Elphaba's weary face for a long time. She had dark circles under her eyes and her cheeks were flushed from her crying. Fiyero ran a finger down the side of her face as she slept in his arms. Eventually her grip on his shirt loosened and her hand dropped into her lap. Fiyero stood, keeping her in his arms, and laid her on the bed.

He brushed a strand of hair out of her face and turned to look at Glinda, who was staring back, eyebrows pulled together. Torrisa didn't notice the serious looks passed between the adults and carried on playing with her hair.

Glinda took Torrisa back to the room they had set up for her, even though her spent most of her time in Elphaba and Fiyero's room. Once the child was safely in her room, Glinda hurried back to Elphaba and Fiyero.

On the way back she ran into Nizava. "Oh, sorry Miss Glinda," Nizava said shyly.

Glinda waved her hand nonchalantly. "No need for that, Miss Nizava. But would you like to have a room to rest in?"

Nizava nodded her head eagerly. Glinda smiled softly. "Very well then, you are welcome to the room on the floor below. It's the only one down there."

Nizava smiled gratefully, "Thank you, Miss Glinda."

And with that she made her down to her new room. Glinda shook her head at the teenager.

Fiyero hadn't moved from the position he had been in when Glinda had left. He was still stroking Elphaba's face with a worried expression on his face.

"Fiyero?" Glinda walked over, pulling over a chair with her. She placed it next to Fiyero and sat on it, casting her own worried glance at her friend's face.

Fiyero sighed and looked up from Elphaba's face. "I'm just so worried about her Glinda."

Glinda didn't met his eyes, instead she reached out and held one of Elphaba's hands with her own. "She doesn't deserve any of this."

Fiyero continued holding onto her other hand and running a hand down her face. "No," he agreed, "she's so good. She shouldn't have to live through this."

"How touching."

Fiyero and Glinda's heads shot up and stared at the source of the voice. Glinda stood first, anger clear on her face.

"Anvesa," she said evenly, a few traces of her fury seeping into her voice.

Anvesa smirked. "Well, I guess the games up. Hello," she said, wiggling her fingers at them.

She walked over to stand next to Elphaba. Glinda tried to move but Anvesa held out a hand, freezing her in place. Fiyero stood up and blocked her way.

"So, you must be Fiyero?" Anvesa asked.

Fiyero didn't answer her question. "Stay away from her," he growled out.

"Ooo, I'm _so _scared," Anvesa chuckled and with a flick of her wrist Fiyero was flung across the room.

At Glinda's shocked expression, Anvesa snickered. "Oh, yeah, about the whole I can't really do magic thing? I lied."

She stood next to Elphaba's bed for a few seconds, taking in the image of the weakened green woman. "This is the fearsome, 'Witch'? So much for that."

Anvesa reached out a hand to touch Elphaba, but an emerald skinned hand gripped her wrist first. "Don't even think about it," Elphaba hissed, eyes opening.

Anvesa looked shocked for a few seconds before she disappeared from view.

Elphaba flopped back against the pillows and looked up at Glinda. Elphaba smiled at her and then reached out her hand to Fiyero, who had stood up and was now sitting on the bed next to her again.

"How do you feel?" Glinda asked, sitting in her chair again, still slightly in shock from Anvesa's sudden appearance.

Elphaba found that shrugging caused her a lot of pain and clutched her shoulder as she grimaced. "Well, I think the bullet wound in my shoulder has seen better days," she looked at Glinda from under her eyelashes. "But, if you hadn't cleaned it, Glin, I don't want to think what kind of condition it would be in. Thank you."

"Elphie, you're my best friend. It's no problem." Glinda smiled reassuringly at Elphaba.

Elphaba returned the smile before looking up at the ceiling for a few minutes. Then she turned to Fiyero. "Yero? Could you get me my bag?"

Fiyero obliged and handed the well worn bag to Elphaba. Elphaba took it gratefully and hunted through it looking for something. She soon withdrew a blue bottle and unscrewed the top. She gave it a hesitate sniff and then took a large gulp. Glinda and Fiyero stared at her as the scars on her arms hissed for a few milliseconds and then disappeared. Elphaba smiled as she sat up, seemingly full of energy.

At Fiyero and Glinda's questioning looks, she explained. "Healing potion. I bought it years ago and I've kept it for emergencies ever since. I think this counted as one don't you?"

And with that Elphaba heaved herself out of the bed and walked calmly to the bathroom. She shut the bathroom door and the other inhabitants of the room heard the lock click. Then they heard the shower start.

After about twenty minutes of Glinda and Fiyero trying to make awkward small talk, Elphaba immerged from the bathroom, her skin slightly flushed from the hot water and wearing a silky long black dress. It had an open back and when she turned to close the door to the bathroom, Glinda and Fiyero saw that there were no traces of the torture she had endured.

Elphaba turned back to them with a soft smile on her face and she walked over to Fiyero and wrapped her arms around his torso. He buried his face in her hair.

"You don't know how good that feels," Elphaba murmured into the burlap material that made up his neck.

Glinda watched their moment before excusing herself. She went to go and make sure that Torrisa was alright.

Elphaba and Fiyero eventually broke their embrace. They smiled up at each other, and Fiyero placed a kiss on Elphaba's forehead.

"You don't know how good it is to see you, Yero," she uttered looking down at her bare feet. "I thought I wouldn't ever see you alive again."

Fiyero held her close to him again. "I'm here, Fae, I'm always here for you."

Elphaba nodded, tears entering her eyes. "I know, but I thought I'd lost you again. Please," she pulled away and looked him in the eyes, "promise me we won't be spilt up like that again?"

Fiyero kissed her. "I promise," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.

Elphaba nodded again, pulling away and brushing the tears out from under her eyes. "I'm being silly, aren't I?"

She laughed lightly and Fiyero clasped her hands in his. "No," he told her, "it's understandable. After everything you've been through. Most people would have given up long ago, but not you. You, Elphaba, are not, in any way, the Wicked Witch of the West." He smiled at her. "You are the _Wonderful _Witch of the West."

Elphaba ducked her head, embarrassed. "Now you're the silly one," she told him, swatting at his chest when he released her hands.

Fiyero shrugged. "Well, my head is filled with straw."

Elphaba laughed and walked away. Fiyero grabbed her from behind and swung her round. "Put me down!" Elphaba tried to sound harsh, but her giggles stopped her from being so.

Once he let her go she told him she was off to the library. Elphaba gave him clear instructions not to interrupt her and he agreed to them. She gave him one last kiss on the cheek, grabbed her glasses off the bedside table and went to the library.

*

Elphaba took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes with one hand. She let the book she was holding fall into her lap, effectively losing her page.

She had been holed up in the library all day, trying to find something to take her mind off the disturbing images still floating around in her mind. She read studies, essays, she even got so desperate she read a romance novel. Or tried to anyway.

But it wasn't working. Every time she closed her eyes the memories would be there. Memories from before the whole 'Wicked Witch of the West' thing even started, hell before she even went to Shiz!

_She watched, just a figure in the doorway, as her parents discussed the new baby. Her Papa was telling her Mama to eat some of those plants she didn't like. She want to tell her Papa to stop, that she had been having nightmares about the new baby's birth because of the milkflowers, but she was too afraid to. And so, it really was her fault her mother was dead..._

_Then at Shiz, being the outcast, the weirdo with no feelings. She was a freak of nature why should she have feelings? At night, she would let herself cry into the pillows, the day of bottling up her hurt and humiliation all pouring out. If Galinda ever heard, she never let on. Elphaba loved being at Shiz, but the insults she could do without._

_Defying the Wizard. Crashing into a wood nearby when she lost control of the broom. Having to steal supplies and hide away until she could find somewhere safe. It was frightening to say the least. The nighttimes were the worst, wondering if she would be found in her sleep. Found, captured and killed. It was a very real possibility. And it was truly terrifying._

_The spell...it wasn't working...she could feel it...he was going to die...Fiyero was going to die...and all because of her..._

"_FIYERO!"_

Elphaba startled herself awake with her scream. She looked around the deserted library, the fire she had lit just embers now. She massaged her temples and took in some deep breaths. She stood and started to relight the fire.

Once it was lit again, she picked up the checked blanket she had fallen asleep under and plopped back down on the couch, laying the blanket over her again. She picked the book off the floor and tried to concentrate on it. She soon gave up again and stood off the couch.

She wandered to the window and opened the curtains. The sky was full of stars again but the moon was no longer complete. She looked at it for a minute before staring out to the horizon.

Elphaba could see a small dot of light, like fire, shimmering every so often. She squinted, trying to make out what it was. After no success she grabbed the telescope that decorated the area next to the fireplace. She positioned it so she could see out of the window and turned a few knobs until she could see what the thing was clearly.

"Sweet Lurline..." she breathed out in disbelief.

She ran out of the library and back down to her room. She opened the door so hard that it slammed against the wall. Fiyero looked up from whatever he had been doing whilst she was gone. Glinda had brought Torrisa back into the room and the young girl was playing dress up.

Fiyero stared at Elphaba, concern on his face. "Fae? What's-"

Elphaba hurried around the room, searching for something. When she came across her boots she pulled them on absentmindedly. She found what she was looking for – a book.

"We have a problem, a huge problem," Elphaba told them as she flicked through the book.

She stopped at a page and held it up for them to see. "This is our problem," she said, pointing to picture of a reptilian creature who was breathing fire and had huge wings.

"There's a dragon heading for the Emerald City."

**Right, so we are coming up to the scene I've had in mind since I started writing this. Thanks again for all the reviews everyone, I can't express how much they encourage me to keep writing. Thank you.**

**So, reviews inspire updates. *hint hint***

**Cherry x**


	15. As Long As You're Mine

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! =D (I figured out how to do smilies on Word 2007 and not have fanfiction take them away! Here's where it gets taken away.)**

**Chapter 15-As Long As You're Mine**

"Dragon?" Glinda finally stuttered out. "Elphie, has that healing potion affected your brain? Dragons have been extinct for thousands of years."

Elphaba shook her head as she continued to read what the book had to say. "I know," she replied, "but I also know what I saw. It was a dragon."

She gestured for them to follow her and she took them to the library. She set up the telescope again and told them to look for themselves. Glinda and Fiyero both took turns looking through the telescope lens. Once they had both seen what was heading straight for the Emerald City, they hurried to help Elphaba find whatever was possible on dragons.

Elphaba eventually gave up and practically ran out the door. Fiyero and Glinda exchanged worried glances before dropping the books they were reading and following her.

Elphaba hurried back to her room and yanked on a pair of leggings, something she normally wore when she went flying, for fear of people looking up her skirts. She hunted down her broom and hat and was ready to take off when Fiyero grabbed her arm. She looked at him pleadingly.

"Fiyero, please, I have to do this," she said, her voice soft.

Fiyero looked furious. "Do what exactly? Elphaba, you need to stop putting yourself in danger! It's not like people appreciate it! So, just stay here. For now. For me."

Elphaba looked back at Glinda, who was stood in the doorway to the balcony, and then out at the open sky. She looked up at the clear blue and then let her gaze fall to the spot where the dragon was. It was a black dot on the horizon with the occasional splash of orange as it breathed fire.

She sat, ready to take off for a few minutes, before climbing off her broom and gently kissing Fiyero. She ran and hugged Glinda and then walked back to the edge of the balcony. "I have to do this," she repeated, shooting Fiyero an apologetic look. Then she let herself fall over the railing of the balcony.

She let the adrenaline of the fall consume her for a moment before she finally managed to get the broom under her and she shot into the sky. She sat and stared at the city sprawled beneath her.

"I'm sorry!" She shouted to Fiyero and Glinda, who still stood in shock on the balcony.

Then, Elphaba turned the broom and shot towards the threat in the distance.

*

Anvesa scowled as she sat on the monster's back. It was uncomfortable and she was not in a good mood. She had been sitting on the things back for three hours and they were still a good distance away from the Emerald City.

"Can't you go any faster?" She asked the Dragon, irritation clear in her tone.

A golden eye rolled in its socket at her. "No, I can't. Get used to it."

If she had been in any other situation, Anvesa would have crossed her arms and pouted. As it was, she was clinging to the Dragon for dear life, and so had to settle for the pout by itself.

"I hear you are talented in astral projection," the Dragon commented.

Anvesa huffed. "Yes, I am. It comes in handy when trying to convince someone you are a ghost."

The Dragon let out another fireball at that very moment, causing Anvesa to scream and duck her head onto his scaly back. "I swear," she hissed once it was over, "you only do that to annoy me."

The Dragon let out a gravelly chuckle and only flapped his wings harder.

*

Elphaba let the thrill of flying fill her mind for a while. It would take her some time to get to the dragon, so she wasn't really too worried about concentrating on it. She only looked down a few times, whenever she heard screams mostly. If only for her own entertainment, she would cackle loudly, causing the screaming to increase.

She waved at a few people and she could have sworn she saw a few people faint. And not just women either. She just laughed to herself and urged her broom to go faster.

Soon she was out over the forests and empty fields. Elphaba kept her body pressed to the broom, as she looked her eyes on the target. She was really going to meet dragon. This was like a dream come true. Except she never really pictured herself on a flying broom and wearing a pointy hat. But she could get over that.

She flew for what seemed like hours before she could clearly see what the dragon looked like. It was huge, with massive wings. It was as black as midnight and the scales covering it's body looked impenetrable. It was then that she spotted the figure sitting on its back.

"Anvesa!" Elphaba called to the girl.

Anvesa looked up over the dragon's head and rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised?"

Elphaba glared at the teenager, earning herself one in return. Elphaba turned the broom so it was flying alongside the dragon.

"Come to investigate, have you?" Anvesa called over the sound of the wind.

Elphaba snorted. "Yes. Where in Oz did you manage to find a dragon?"

Anvesa laughed. "It's no dragon. He's a Dragon."

Elphaba looked down towards the Dragon's eye, which was watching her. "I'm sorry," she apologised.

The Dragon looked surprised at her apology and nodded his big head. "You are forgiven, Sorceress."

Elphaba was shocked at the name he called her. Not because it actually didn't sound insulting but because he knew of her magical talents. Anvesa scowled at the Dragon.

"You are on my side," she reminded the Dragon, muttering a spell under her breath. The spell caused what looked like red hot metal chains to appear on the Dragon's limbs, all leading back to Anvesa where she held them in her fist. The Dragon roared in pain and panted for a few minutes afterwards.

Elphaba nearly shook in anger. "Anvesa," she called, her voice dangerously calm, "let the Dragon go."

Anvesa laughed at the green woman. "Not a chance. He's mine."

Elphaba shook her head and manoeuvred the broom so she was floating in front of the Dragon, stopping him from moving forward. "He doesn't belong to you. He's a free creature, a Dragon. Anvesa, let him go. I'm here, you can take me out." Elphaba spread her arms wide, so she was sitting precariously on the broom. "So let him go."

Anvesa glared at Elphaba, her blue eyes full of malice. "I found him," she told the green woman, "I rescued him. He was about to be killed and I stopped them. So he owes me."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, placing her hands back on the brooms handle. She looked at her green hands, clasping the wood so hard her knuckles turned white. Her hands, which held the power to hurt so many people. Her hands who already had hurt people.

Elphaba sighed and turned back to Anvesa, only to see her whispering something in the Dragon's ear. The young girl had sat up again, smirk firmly in place. Elphaba's eyes widened as the Dragon's eyes glazed over before she was forced to turn her broom around and race back toward the Emerald City, or be burned to death.

Anvesa now had the Dragon under her power and laughed as she ordered the Dragon to go after Elphaba.

Elphaba chanced a glance behind her and saw the Dragon advancing on her. She urged her broom to go faster. She shot off.

Elphaba was fast. The Dragon was faster.

*

Fiyero was currently in the Emerald Palace fuming. "Why? Why must she always do such _stupid _things?"

Glinda didn't respond. She was watching the horizon through the telescope, watching the tiny green dot disappear over the distance. "Be careful, Elphie," she whispered.

Fiyero stopped pacing and turned to face her. "Oh, she'd better be careful."

Glinda stood, sighing as she did so. "Knowing her, she won't give a damn about her own safety, if others are in danger."

Fiyero folded his arms over his chest and chewed as best he could on his bottom lip. He stared out of the huge window in front of him, the sunlight streaming through. _Try to be safe, Fae._

*

The Dragon was quickly gaining on Elphaba. Elphaba didn't dare look back anymore, she just concentrated on directing the Dragon away from the Emerald City.

She flew over the fields of Munchkinland, taking in the house in the distance, which the Munchkins still hadn't removed. She felt a frown appear on her face at the thought.

She felt the heat against her back as the Dragon blew more fire towards her. She lost her grip on the broom and went crashing to the ground.

She landed with a soft bump in one of the grass fields. The Dragon landed nearby and Anvesa climbed down from his back. She walked over to Elphaba and once there lifted the woman to her feet with a simple spell.

Elphaba groaned as she felt her body respond to an outside force. She was still hunched over once she was firmly on her feet again. She opened her eyes to see the dark haired teenager staring at her. She quickly summoned her broom and pointed it at Anvesa.

"Don't make me fight you," she said, sadness leaking into her voice.

Anvesa laughed, cold and unfeeling. "Right, 'cause you're gonna win so easily. Especially when I can do this."

Elphaba felt herself be thrown across the field, her body hitting the hard ground. Anvesa was still smirking at her as she stood up. Elphaba looked around the field for anything that might help her and spotted two eyes peeping out from a bush.

The young girl crawled out from where she had been hiding, her long hair caught on the branches. She was only about four, around Torrisa's age. She giggled at the two witches and started to walk towards the centre of their fight.

"No!" Elphaba shouted, causing the girl to look at her. Elphaba ran to stand in front of the small child, broom raised in front of her. She stared at Anvesa, her eyes now open and alert.

The small girl was now crying, scared from the Dragon and was clutching Elphaba's skirts in her fists. Anvesa sneered at the image in front of her.

"So like you," she said, starting to circle Elphaba, "to protect the ones who can't protect themselves. But that is what will make you lose."

Elphaba didn't answer, instead she held the broom with one hand and held the other one out to Anvesa. She whispered a few words under her breath and Anvesa flew back a few feet.

Anvesa wiped some dirt off her face and stood up again. She held both palms out to Elphaba and shouted her own spell. Elphaba watched as a crack appeared in the ground, heading right for her. She scooped the girl up in her arms and jumped out of the way of the crack, making sure the girl was protected. As soon as she was out of the way, the crack stopped and fire shot out of it.

"Stay behind me," Elphaba told the shaking girl as she stood again. She muttered another spell, this one defensive and watched as a force field of sorts appeared around her and the girl. Anvesa smirked.

"Think I can't get past that?" She then cast another spell, this one hitting the force field and bouncing up into the sky. It was like a firework as it exploded in the air. The little girl whimpered.

"Is she gonna hurt us?" The girl lisped into Elphaba skirts, which she once again had hold of.

Elphaba turned and tried to give her a reassuring smile, which ended up looking more like a grimace. "Not if I can help it."

Anvesa watched their conversation as she continued to fire spells at the bubble. Elphaba remained inside the protective shield, her broom unfortunately on the outside. She stood with her hands out stretched, ready to cast a spell once the force field lost its power. For, whilst she was in the bubble, no spells could get in, but also none could get out either.

The force field lasted for ten more minutes before it flickered and disappeared. Elphaba made sure the little girl was still protected by her and turned back to Anvesa. But the teen wasn't standing ready to cast a spell on her but looking up to the sky.

Elphaba looked up too and was surprised to see a giant pink bubble floating down towards them. Inside of it were Nizava, Fiyero and Glinda.

"Elphie," Glinda called, "we've come to help."

Elphaba watched in amazement as Glinda expertly landed the bubble and stepped out of it, wand in hand.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Really, Glinda, I'm glad you're here, but did you have to bring the wand?"

Glinda stuck her tongue out at her friend. "It helps focus my magic if you must know."

Fiyero rushed to Elphaba's side, sword in hand and a gun in his belt. Nizava stayed where she was.

"How did-" Elphaba started.

"I'll explain later," Fiyero told her.

"Ahem," Anvesa cleared her throat, drawing all attention back to her.

Nizava took a step forward. "Annie, why?"

Anvesa scowled at her sister. "Zava, you know why. I want to be the best sorceress in the whole of Oz, and if this is the way to get it, then so be it."

Nizava looked at the ground for a few seconds before looking back at her sister. "I don't want to fight you. But if I have to I will."

"Oh, please," Anvesa sniggered, "I was always the more talented one."

"Yes," Elphaba called, "But now Nizava has her half sister and her half sister's best friend on her side. And we happen to be talented at magic as well."

Anvesa laughed and started casting spells again. The Dragon was still sat behind her, waiting for her orders.

Elphaba quickly started firing off spells of her own. Glinda and Nizava joined in until Anvesa was on her knees in the grass. She was breathing deeply, more like pants than breaths. She stared up at Nizava.

"So, you'd fight against your own sister."

Nizava shook her head, tears in her eyes. "I told you. I don't want to. But look around you, Annie, you're fighting against good people." She gestured to the little group. "And a _little girl_. Anvesa, you need help. Please," she held out a hand to her sister, "let us help you."

Anvesa seemed to consider the option for a while before reaching out towards her sister. Then she whispered, "I don't need help," before turning to cast one last spell at Elphaba.

Elphaba covered her face with her hands, before she felt herself being pushed out of the way. She looked back up through her curtain of hair to see Fiyero being hit by the spell. Nizava ran towards her sister, tackling her, but it was too late. Fiyero was laying on the grass, not moving, not breathing.

Elphaba scrambled to her feet, tears already streaming down her face. The little girl was screaming and Glinda led her away. Elphaba fell to her knees at Fiyero's side and cradled his head in her lap.

"Fiyero," she said, tears dripping from her face onto his, "please, wake up. Yero, wake up. You have to wake up."

Fiyero's eyes remained closed.

Elphaba screamed as she remained hunched over Fiyero's straw body. Nizava had, by now, cast a sleeping spell on her sister and was walking towards Elphaba.

Elphaba heard the footsteps and shook her head. "No, stay way from us!"

Nizava ignored her crouched next to Elphaba. "I might be able to do something."

Elphaba looked at her with fresh tears in her eyes. "Please, try," she begged.

Nizava nodded and walked back over to her sister's unconscious body. She clasped her hand in her own and summoned her magic. It was Anvesa as well, combined with her own. "Elphaba," she looked over at the green woman, her eyes glowing, "you need to move away."

"No," Elphaba muttered, holding Fiyero tighter. Glinda eventually walked over and pulled her friend away.

"This will cleanse his body of any magic that has affected it." Nizava informed them. "It should reverse Anvesa's spell."

Elphaba nodded, Glinda's hands still clasped on her shoulders. "Do it," she asked, tears continuing to fall down her face.

Nizava nodded once more before she held out her hand towards Fiyero. It glowed with a yellow light and then a beam shot out and hit Fiyero. His body rose off the ground, a soft glow enveloping it. Nizava concentrated and the glow increased.

"Close your eyes," Nizava commanded, "Close your eyes!"

Elphaba and Glinda turned away as the light increased. Once it was over the glow seemed to fade back into Nizava's hand. Nizava collapsed next to her sister.

Fiyero floated back on to the ground. Elphaba rushed to his side, grabbing his hand with her own. "Yero?" She asked shakily.

Fiyero was no longer a scarecrow. Nizava had been right about the fact that his body would be rid of all the spells ever cast upon it. Elphaba took in his human face for a few seconds more. "Yero?" She asked again.

A few more seconds passed. Then Fiyero blinked and opened his eyes. "Fae?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

"Yero!" Elphaba cried, elated. She hugged him fiercely and was even more ecstatic when she felt him sit up and his arms wrap around her waist. "Fiyero, you're human. My spell, it's gone!"

Fiyero laughed and drew back. He wiped away some of Elphaba's tears with his thumbs before he kissed her.

They stayed that way, lip locked, for a few minute more before Glinda called to them.

"Um, guys, we have a problem!"

Elphaba raised her head to glare at the blonde woman who only pointed to the edge of the field. There, stood in a mob, was what seemed to be an entire village. There were a few shouts of, "It's the witch!" and "Kill her!". There was one shout that seemed to deafen all the rest. "My baby!" a woman called, reaching towards the little girl, a man holding her back.

"You're right," Elphaba whispered to herself more than anything, "this is a problem."

**You didn't think I'd leave you with the Fiyero's death cliffy again, did you? Well, it got old two chapters ago. So, we are nearing the end of the story. Only a few chapters to go. D= Anyway, review! Tell me what you thought of Fiyero's revival scene! What of the villagers? All shall become clear next chapter!**

**Cherry x**


	16. No Good Deed

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**Thank you for the reviews!**

**Chapter 16-No Good Deed**

Elphaba stared at the mob of villagers, eyes wide. She felt Fiyero tighten his grip on her waist as they sat together. Glinda also stood in silence, her grip on the young girl's hand loosening. The small finally pulled free from the blonde's hold and ran to stand in front of Fiyero and Elphaba.

The woman, the girl's mother, became even more hysterical. "Get away from that witch!" She shouted to her daughter.

The girl placed her hands on her hips and planted her feet. "She saved me," she lisped in a loud voice.

There were a few gasps of surprise from the watching villagers and a few even lowered their weapons. There were a few mutterings sweeping through the crowd.

"She saved me from the real bad witch," the girl continued, pointing over to where Nizava and Anvesa lay, unconscious. "She is a good witch," the girl said and pointed to Elphaba.

"Yes," a deep voice rumbled. There were more screams as the Dragon walked forward, flopping down a few metres away from the unusual couple. Elphaba looked up at him. "The other twin's spell seems to have been more powerful than she could imagine. Every living thing that had a spell cast on it is now free from that enchantment. Including me. I am Aecho, by the way."

Elphaba nodded in way of greeting and turned back to the crowd. Glinda was now stood with the girl and Fiyero was starting to stand. He held a hand out of Elphaba and helped her up. Once she was stood next to him, Fiyero pulled her into his chest.

The girl's mother stepped forward. "Lady Glinda," she called, "it is true?"

Glinda took a step forward as well, aware of how delicate the situation was. "Elphaba did protect your daughter. She made sure of her safety before her own. Elphaba was mostly fighting to protect the little girl. I swear that this is the truth."

A few more murmurs went through the crowd at Glinda's words. Elphaba looked up at Fiyero and asked him to let her go. He stared at her for a moment before releasing her from his arms. Elphaba walked to stand next to Glinda and placed a green hand on her friend's shoulder. Glinda smiled at her.

Elphaba turned to face the villagers.

"I don't expect you to believe me or anyone else about me. But, please, hear me out. I have no intention to hurt anyone, I never have. I only..." she swallowed, "I've only ever wanted to help. I used to live here, in Munchkinland, I know how hard it is to live here sometimes. The droughts and such. Please, just, if you won't believe me, let my friends go. Just...don't hurt them." Elphaba let her head drop so her chin was resting on her chest.

By now the girl had run to her mother and her woman held her tight as she listened to Elphaba. She took her gaze off her child to stare at Elphaba's pleading expression. She set the girl on the ground and walked towards the two friends. She turned slightly at shouts from the man, her husband, and called to him, "One minute! I want to talk with her."

The woman walked over to the Elphaba and Glinda, her child's hand in hers. She reached out and grasped Elphaba's thin green hand in her own. Elphaba's head shot up in shock.

The woman smiled sincerely. "Thank you, Miss Thropp. For saving my daughter."

Elphaba's eyebrows pulled together. "How do you know who I am?"

The woman's smile deepened. "I used to live near you, Miss Elphaba, before I moved here. I remember you," she chuckled, "but you're not very forgettable."

Elphaba smiled too. "Thank you," she told the woman.

"For what?" The dark haired woman asked.

Elphaba felt tears enter her eyes. "For accepting me."

The woman looked shocked at the reason for Elphaba's thanks and then smiled again. The young girl was still watching the goings on and reached up and grabbed Elphaba's hand from her mother. She pulled the green woman towards the crowd, not noticing Elphaba's panicked look behind her to Glinda, who only grinned at her.

Elphaba looked at the crowd who fanned out to let her in. Once she was in the centre the girl let go of her hand. There was silence for a few moments before an elderly woman reached forward and patted her shoulder. Soon and rest of the villagers followed suit. Elphaba's smile nearly spilt her face in half as she let her tears flow. Soon, though, she noticed the fact that the sun was going down. She thanked everyone for their kindness, told the young girl to stay out of trouble and went back to Fiyero.

She grabbed her broom and her hat, which had been knocked off at some point in the fighting and told Fiyero to get on the back of the broom. He complied and soon they were floating in the air, waiting for Glinda to get the twins in a bubble and follow them. She was soon ready and they shot off, Aecho flying behind them.

As the shouts of farewell from the villagers had faded away, Elphaba wiped the tears from her eyes. "I don't need the rest of Oz, I'm happy to have that village know I'm not wicked."

Fiyero only held her tighter.

*

They soon arrived back at the Emerald palace, after Elphaba advised Aecho that coming into the Emerald City wasn't the best of ideas and he agreed with her, deciding to stay in a field nearby.

Elphaba landed the broom on the balcony she had taken off for and then caught the little girl who ran into her arms.

"Aba!" Torrisa cried, wrapping her arms tightly around Elphaba's neck.

Elphaba rubbed the small girl's back, smiling as she did so. "Torrisa! It's so good to see you!" With the last sentence she spun around, causing Torrisa to giggle. Elphaba pulled the girl back from her neck a little to look at her face and noticed her drooping eyelids. She left Fiyero to help guide Glinda and the twin's bubbles in and went to put Torrisa in bed.

She carried the toddler to her room and gently lay in her in the green bed. She hummed to Torrisa of a while, closing the curtains and lighting a small candle, before sitting next to the small girl's bed.

Torrisa looked tired, but clearly couldn't get to sleep. Elphaba thought for a moment before deciding to expand on the humming and sang a lullaby.

"_Unlimited," _she sang. _"Your future is unlimited. And you'll never know just what's in store. I know, someday, you'll be making good. Just the way I knew you always could. And there'll be a celebration, throughout Oz, that's all to do," _Elphaba whispered the last part, "with my baby."

Fiyero stood in the doorway, watching as Elphaba sang Torrisa to sleep. It was strange to see her in such a calm environment after everything that had happened.

He smiled at her when, after she had kissed Torrisa's forehead and blown out the candle, she stood and faced him. She walked over, a soft smile turning up the corners of her lips. Fiyero bent down to kiss her gently, scooping her up in his arms as he did so. Once they were clear of Torrisa's room, she laughed quietly.

"Smooth," she told him.

Fiyero ignored the gibe. "Where did you learn that song?" he asked as he carried her back to their room.

Elphaba's eyebrows pulled together. "My...mother used to sing it to me. When I was younger. She...I think she really loved me."

Fiyero kissed the crease between her eyebrows, dispelling it. "I know she did."

Elphaba smiled up at him. "Thank you," she whispered.

She told him put her down soon after and they went to go and help Glinda with the twins. They knocked on the door and entered to see the twins laying on Glinda's bed with Glinda standing next to them.

"I'm just waking Nizava up, one moment please," she told them, waving a bag of smelling salts over Nizava's face. Nizava's face scrunched up for a few seconds before her eyes opened. She glared up at the bag and knocked it away with her hand. She eased herself off the bed and stood up.

She gazed wistfully at her sister for a few moments before turning away, her eyes closing again. Her hands held pieces of the blue fabric of her dress as she held back tears. Elphaba walked over to her.

She placed a green hand on Nizava's shoulder. "I know it hurts," Elphaba said quietly. "To find out about your sister, how she would hurt you to get what she wanted. But, you were good enough to offer her help anyway."

Nizava looked up at Elphaba's face, glaring at the green woman. "She was my sister, my twin, of course I did!"

Elphaba nodded. "Yes, and she will always be in your heart. She is family, and even if that family goes against you or seems to not care about you, they are still family. It's up to you what we do with now."

Nizava's face softened and she nodded, staring at the floor again. "I don't think she can he helped. She can't stay free in Oz, she is too dangerous. She...she should be..."

Elphaba watched the younger girl's pain, her heart aching at the sight. "We can't change her mind, the way she thinks. It would only be doing to her what she did to you."

Nizava brushed a few tears out of her eyes and looked over at her sister's unconscious body. "She is a danger to everyone around her..." Nizava's voice wavered as she spoke. "She...needs to be locked up. But, taken care of, not-not tortured..."

Glinda walked over to the sobbing teenager and wrapped her arms around her. "I can assure that. I promise, she will be taken care of."

Nizava nodded through her tears and Glinda led her out of the room. Elphaba stared after them, a frown on her face. Fiyero walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"What's troubling you, Fae?" Fiyero whispered.

He felt Elphaba's chest contract and deflate as she sighed. "I wish I could have told Frex what I told Nizava. He should have treated me the way he did. And I see that now."

Fiyero smiled at her. "I think your right. But the past is the past. And you've got to put the past behind you."

Elphaba smiled. She hadn't noticed how tried she was and she felt as if she could just drop and sleep on the floor.

Elphaba pulled out of Fiyero's embrace and pulled him to their bedroom. Once their, she kissed him, kicked off her boots and, fully dressed, got into bed and almost immediately fell asleep.

Fiyero shook his head at Elphaba, but climbed in after her, kicking off his own shoes and taking off his hat.

"Goodnight, my Fae, and sweet dreams."

*

As they dreamt, Elphaba and Fiyero went unaware of the three figures in the room. Melena sat next to where Elphaba's face rest on the pillow. She smiled and stroked her daughter's hair. Nessarose rolled over to be next to her mother and Frex followed her grudgingly.

"Oh, Fabala, look at you..." Melena whispered, knowing that the ears of the living could not hear her. "You have done so much good."

Frex snorted. "She is a Wicked Witch, Melena."

Melena looked up at her husband, anger on her face. "She is in no way wicked, Frexpar Thropp, and you had no right to treat her the way you did."

Frex looked taken back at his wife's comment and then disappeared. Melena shook her head at him and turned back to her eldest daughter. Nessarose watched her mother and sister for a few minutes before she spoke.

"I wish I could say I was sorry for the way I treated her. She was more of a servant than a sister."

Melena looked at her youngest daughter and then moved away from Elphaba. "Go on then. Tell her."

Nessarose hesitated before she rolled herself closer to Elphaba. She grasped her sister's green hand with her thin one and whispered, "I'm sorry, Elphaba, for doing to things I did to you. I'm sorry I blamed you for what you did to Boq, when really you saved him. I'm sorry we didn't have to chance to be real sisters. I heard you, after I died, and you don't need to be forgiven. It is I who needs forgiveness. Please, forgive me, Fabala."

Elphaba's mouth turned up in a smile and she breathed, "I forgive you, Nessie."

Nessarose let go of her sister's hand in shock and turned to her mother, who was smiling. At Nessa's questioning look, Melena explained. "The living are more attuned to what the dead have to say, if they are asleep. She heard you, and she has forgiven you." Melena glanced a the clock on the wall. "Come on, Nessarose, we should be going now."

Nessarose nodded and then disappeared. Melena looked at her eldest for a long moment and then bent down, kissed her forehead and was gone.

**So, short chapter. Something exciting will be happening next chappy, and not of the dangerous and deathly side. It will be happy, as I am a sucker for happy endings. So, review and tell me what you think. I tend to think that Musical Melena would have cared for her daughter, but that's just me.**

**I am unable to read your mind as you sit there reading this, so writing it down in a review! It's much easier than me learning to read minds. =D**

**Cherry x**


	17. March of the Witch Hunters

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**Chapter 17-March of the Witch Hunters**

Elphaba woke the next morning and was surprised to see that Fiyero wasn't there. It was rare for him to be up before her but she didn't question it. She only yawned, stretched and smiled sleepily. She felt as if some great weight had been lifted from her shoulders as she gazed around the dim green room.

Nearly all of the other times she had been inside the room her focus had been somewhere else entirely. She now noticed the different shades of green that made the stripes on the walls. The furniture was elegant and looked very expensive. The huge window next to the balcony door looked out at the poorer part of the Emerald City when the curtains were open, but for now the sun hitting the thick fabric of the curtains cast the room in a dim green light.

Elphaba looked up at the sound of a knock at the door. "Come in," she called and was surprised to see Fiyero walk in. "You don't have to knock, silly," she told him when he sat on the bed, twining her arms around his neck, "it's your room too."

Fiyero kissed her. "I know," he murmured when they broke apart for air, "but I wanted to make sure you were awake."

Elphaba nodded. "I am not quite sure I am awake. I mean, this is a little unbelievable." She gestured to his face, his human face.

Fiyero chuckled. "I assure you, you are awake."

And with that they locked lips again. Elphaba closed her eyes but then, Fiyero was gone. She opened her eyes made a small noise of disappointment. Fiyero shushed her and she watched as he pulled her into a sitting position. Her eyebrows pulled together as he slid down on one knee next to the bed.

"Fiyero-" she started but he cut her off.

"We never got properly married, and I want to give that to you." He cleared his throat. "Elphaba Thropp, I love you. So much more than anything else in the world. I want you to be happy and I want to be the one that makes you happy. So, Elphaba, would you do me the honour of being my wife...officially?"

Elphaba stared in shock as Fiyero pulled out a ring box and opened it to reveal a small ring with two hearts next to each other, one emerald and one sapphire. Elphaba looked from Fiyero's happy face to the ring and back again.

Her brain seemed to have gone dead and she panicked. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I-I have to go."

She could bear to see the devastated look on Fiyero's face but it seemed burned onto the backs of her eyelids as she ran from the room. She closed the door behind her, tears already in her eyes. She quickly knocked on Glinda's door and the blonde opened it and was surprised to be greeted with a tearful Elphaba.

She gestured for her friend to come into the room and sat her down on the sofa. "What's wrong, Elphie?" Glinda asked of her friend who was staring into space.

Elphaba looked up at Glinda with wide brown eyes, which were still leaking tears. "Fiyero-he-he asked me...to marry him," she whispered.

Glinda squealed and smiled widely. "Oh, that's great news, Elphie! I'll help you plan it and-" she spotted her friend's face and stopped short. "Elphie? You did say yes...didn't you?"

Elphaba looked down at her hands. "I didn't give him an answer. I just ran." She gave a humourless chuckle. "It's what I'm best at."

Glinda gave her a reprimanding look. "Elphaba, you should go in there and give him an answer." Glinda pulled Elphaba up from the sofa and spun her round so she was facing to the door. Then the small blonde woman proceeded to push Elphaba out of the room. Ignoring the green woman's protests Glinda eventually got Elphaba out of the room and slammed the door. "I'm not letting you back in until you either have a ring on your finger or you've told Fiyero no. See you then!"

Elphaba stared in shock at the pink door for a few seconds before turning facing her own door. Took in a few deep breaths and swallowed before cautiously opening the door and slipping inside.

She saw Fiyero lying on the bed with his eyes closed. She hesitated for a second before Fiyero opened his eyes and held his arms wide for her. She smiled sadly and crawled into his embrace. He kissed the top of her head.

"Fiyero, listen I'm sorry-"

Fiyero cut her off. "It's alright, Fae, if you don't want to, then that's fine by me."

Elphaba turned in his arms. "Well, that may be true, but it is not fine by _me_. I never gave you an answer. Yes." At his shocked expression she laughed. "I say: yes. I want to marry you...officially."

Fiyero stared at her for a while before she got impatient and just kissed him. After they broke apart, she smiled. "So...where's my ring?"

Fiyero rolled his eyes as he reached into his pocket. "Demanding now, aren't you?"

Elphaba just smiled sweetly. "I'm nothing if not demanding."

Fiyero didn't reply, instead he just opened the little velvet covered box. Elphaba heard her own intake of breath at the sight of the ring and silently held out her hand when Fiyero asked for it. He gently slid the ring down her finger. She brought it up close to her own face and stared at it. It glinted in the dim light which reminded Elphaba that they were still sitting in the dark. She stood, much to Fiyero's disappointment, and opened the curtains, letting in the light.

She stared out over the city, past it to the fields that lay beyond. All of a sudden, she remembered the promise she had made to Aecho.

Fiyero watched her as she ran around the room, trying to get ready as quickly as possible. But luck didn't seem to be on her side when, as she tried to pull a brush through her hair and get her boot on at the same time, she fell over. Fiyero was fast enough to catch her and she thanked him with a quick peck to his cheek as she ran out the balcony door, grabbing her broom and hat on the way.

Soon she was out of Emerald Palace and in the sky. She revelled in the feeling of freeness that she always got when flying. She sped as fast as she could over the city and was soon arrived at the field where the giant black Dragon was somehow hidden. She called his name and then he appeared near her.

"I thought you weren't coming, Sorceress," Aecho grumbled at her.

"I'm sorry," Elphaba told him.

"It is alright," Aecho told her, the sides of his mouth pulling up in a sort of smile. "I see you are curious about how I hide myself."

Elphaba stood in shock for a few seconds before nodding. Aecho chuckled deeply before answering. "I am able to cast a slight glamour over myself, hiding my body from sight. It causes you to see me, but not take in that I am there."

Elphaba nodded, engrossed as she lowered herself to the ground, crossing her legs as she did so. "Where have you been living?" Elphaba asked the Dragon.

Aecho looked wistful."A great forest, I don't know your name for it. I would like to return there and I will set off soon."

Elphaba nodded again. "Yes, as you probably should. It was a pleasure meeting you, Aecho. I hope that we will meet again someday."

Aecho nodded his large head. "If you ever need my help, just fly up into the air on that contraption of yours and call my name. I should be able to hear you. It's the least I can do after you helped me escape from the clutches of that witch."

"You're very welcome, Aecho," Elphaba smiled and stood off the grass again.

Aecho stood too and spread his wings wide, stretching them. Elphaba watched in amazement as he started to flap the great wings, up and down, causing her to hold on to her hat, as so not to loose it in the gale created by the leathery things.

"Goodbye Aecho!" Elphaba called above the sound of the wind.

"Farewell Sorceress!" Aecho called back to her and then with a flap of his wings and the hint of glamour, he was gone.

Elphaba searched the skies for him, but his magic prevented her from finding him. She sighed and then mounted the broom, kicked off and headed back for the Emerald City.

Once she had safely landed back on her balcony, she was attacked by a ball of pink and blonde. She managed to stay upright as Glinda hugged her midsection, which seemed to stop her from being able to breathe properly.

"Gli-glinda...breathing...is nice..." Elphaba managed to rasp out. Glinda let out a small squeak and released Elphaba. Elphaba took in a few deep breaths as Glinda apologised over and over again. "It's alright, Glinda, I'm fine."

Glinda finally stopped saying sorry and started to drag Elphaba back into the green room where Fiyero sat. Elphaba was still a little dazed but was able to catch the gist of what Glinda was babbling about at top speed. It was about...weddings.

Elphaba glared at Fiyero who was still lounging on the bed. The glare clearly said, '_You told her. And now I want to kill you, wedding or not_'. Fiyero only shrugged.

Elphaba eventually stopped struggling and let herself be dragged to Glinda's room, have her broom and hat taken from her, and sat on the sofa. She watched as Glinda rushed around the room looking for something. Eventually the item was found and Glinda plopped herself down next to Elphaba.

"Elphie," Glinda said, flicking through a very thick folder, "I have _everything _planned for your wedding. Here," she put the folder on Elphaba's lap, "Take a look."

Elphaba cocked an eyebrow at her excited friend and looked down at the folder in her lap. She looked through it for a few minutes, her lips pursed. Glinda seemed to deflate at her friend's silence. "Glinda," Elphaba murmured, "you do know that the size of the wedding planned is way too big, right? We would need the whole city to help with this and in case you hadn't noticed, I am not too popular with the citizens of Oz."

Glinda nodded glumly, taking the folder out of Elphaba's hands. "I guess you're right," Glinda told her, sighing.

Elphaba laid a hand on Glinda's shoulder. "It's the thought that counts," Elphaba said, smiled. "And you can still plan...just on a smaller scale. And with a few conditions."

Glinda squealed at the prospect. "Thank you, Elphie, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Elphaba nodded and hugged Glinda. Glinda stopped bouncing all at once. "What conditions?" She asked suspiciously.

Elphaba held up a finger. "One, the minister is colour-blind. It's the most practical." She held up another finger. "Two, we don't use Fiyero and I's real names. We can use Fae and Yero. Three," another finger was raised, "my dress is black."

Glinda groaned at the last one, but decided that it was worth it. Elphaba shushed her. "I'm done yet," she told the blonde. "My last condition is...that you have to be my maid of honour."

Glinda sat in shock for a few seconds before she practically tackled Elphaba with the force of the hug she gave her. Elphaba could feel Glinda's tears on her neck where the blonde woman had rested her head. Glinda sat up and wiped her eyes, a wide smile on her face. Elphaba returned the smile as Glinda held her green hands with her own. Glinda gave them a gentle squeeze. "I would be honoured to be your maid of honour, Elphaba."

Elphaba laughed, a few tears of her own in her eyes as she replied. "That's good because I don't know who else I'd be able to have."

Glinda good naturedly hit Elphaba's shoulder. "Meanie," she told Elphaba.

Elphaba shook her head. "No," she said, "the word is _wicked_."

Glinda giggled. "Oh, shut up silly."

Elphaba mimed locking her mouth a throwing away the key. This just caused the two friends to laugh even more. Fiyero found them that way, doubled over with fits of the giggles. He walked over to them, concerned, before he saw that they were fine.

He sat himself on the arm rest next to Elphaba and wrapped his arms around her shaking shoulders. He kissed the top of her head as she said hello through her small bouts of laughter.

"So," Fiyero said once the two women had control over themselves again. "Have you planned the wedding?"

Elphaba nodded. "Pretty much. It's set a few weeks from now."

Fiyero whistled. "You think you can pull a wedding together that quickly?" He asked Glinda.

Glinda sniffed. "Are you doubting me?"

Fiyero looked a little scared before shaking his head. Their conversation was interrupted by a light knock on the door. Glinda rose to answer it, leaving Fiyero and Elphaba to sit on the couch.

She opened the door and was shocked to see Boq. Not tin man Boq, but human Boq. He looked at Glinda with tear filled eyes. Tears that would no longer cause him to rust and be frozen in place until oil could be found. His eyes were so full of love that Glinda had to take a step back in shock.

"B-boq?" Glinda stuttered.

Boq nodded, a few tears leaving trails down his cheeks. He nodded seemingly unable to speak.

Glinda stared at him numbly. "But-but how?"

Boq shrugged. "I don't know. One minute I'm tin the next I'm human again."

Glinda stared at him for a second longer before turning and announcing his presence. Elphaba immediately jumped up from the couch and started firing questions at Boq. How was he? Was his heart working correctly? They just kept coming.

"Elphaba, I am fine, now leave me alone." Boq pushed the green woman out of the way. She stumbled at the shove and fell to her hands and knees. Fiyero rushed to help her up.

"Are you ok?" Fiyero murmured to Elphaba, who nodded.

Fiyero made sure Elphaba was standing and then punched Boq in the jaw. Boq rubbed his jaw with one hand. "What was that for?" He asked, indignantly.

Fiyero smiled smugly."I've wanted to do that ever since we joined up with Dorothy on the Yellow Brick Road," he told Boq. "And it's for one, manhandling a lady; two the fact that that lady is my fiancé and three, that fact that said lady saved your sorry life."

Boq stared at Elphaba and muttered an apology. She accepted it and, together, the three friends explained to Boq everything that had happened. Boq sat in shock for a few minutes after the tale had been finished and then cracked a smile and more sincerely thanked Elphaba.

They continued to converse as Elphaba went to check on Torrisa. She found the little girl playing happily and left soon enough. On the way back to Glinda's room though, she ran into a serving girl. The girl took one look at her and ran.

Elphaba slammed the door to Glinda's room a little too forcefully, as the walls seemed to shake. Elphaba stomped her way to where the rest of them sat and placed her hands on her hips, eyebrows pulled together over furious eyes.

"Glinda," she addressed the blonde. "We have something to sort out."

Elphaba told them her plan of telling the general public about her none wickedness. "It's quite frankly annoying," Elphaba told them

Glinda quickly piped up. "Elphie, in case you had forgotten, the last time I tried something like that, I was shot."

Elphaba nodded, but looked unconcerned. "That was only because Nizava was controlling the crowd, she told me so herself. And this time, I have a plan. It will take a few weeks to get the speech together and I have a little idea that will prove that at least one of the rumours is untrue."

Elphaba told them this, but would not tell them what the plan was. She just told them to trust her. And they did, even Boq, although it was a little strained in his case.

A few weeks passed and the dates of the speech and the wedding were drawing near. They had decided to have the speech first and the wedding a few days later.

Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero and Boq worked day and night to make sure the speech that Glinda would give was fool proof. They went over any implications of what the words said could be and eliminated any loopholes. Eventually the day came and, unbeknownst to anyone else, Elphaba placed a full bucket of water near Glinda's balcony door. It was part of her plan.

Glinda dress elegantly and Elphaba was forced into a gown too. Glinda made sure it was black and Elphaba had to admit that she looked nice. When she voiced this Glinda made a disbelieving sound.

"No, not nice, Elphie," she told the green woman, "beautiful."

Elphaba blushed and turned her head away.

Glinda glided out onto the balcony where, far below, there was a crowd. They had publicised the speech and so nearly the whole of the Emerald City had turned out to see. It was a shock for the city's inhabitants to hear that Glinda the Good was alive.

Glinda gulped as she looked down at the crowds below. She was nervous, the last speech she had given, on this very matter, had gotten her killed. But she looked behind her and in the shadows of her room, stood Fiyero, Boq and Elphaba. Elphaba seemed to sense her friend's nerves and gave her a reassuring smile.

Glinda called the crowds attention and proceeded with her speech. The crowd was shocked to hear it was the same subject matter as the last one, but this time remained calm and listened to what their leader had to say.

Glinda finally finished the speech and invited Boq, Fiyero and finally, Elphaba on to the balcony. Elphaba let herself be tugged by Fiyero and blinked as she stepped into the sun. Fiyero smiled and gestured for her to say her piece. Elphaba stood and told her story to the engaged crowd, who listened intently. Once she was done she stood down from the podium telling the crowd she had one thing to show them.

She went to where she had hidden the bucket and lifted it up. She told the crowd that she was going to prove, once and for all, that at least one of the rumours against her was not true. And then, before anyone could stop her, she poured the freezing cold water over her head.

There were a few gasps in the crowd and a few from her friends, but Elphaba stood there, soaking wet and said, "If this one rumour has been proved to be false, then why should the others be true?"

And then, to her own shock, she got a round of applause. Elphaba watched as the people below clapped, not in the way they clapped for Glinda, it would take a while for them to like her that much, but they clapped all the same.

Glinda went to fetch Elphaba a towel and Fiyero wrapped his arms around Elphaba's shivering form. Because, although it was sunny, she felt as if it was the dead of winter.

"Well done, Fae," Fiyero whispered in her ear. "Well done."

**Ok, that's that chapter done. I'm feeling quite sad that this story is coming to an end, but I can't keep mentally and physically hurting the characters...can I? Joking aside, I want to thank all my wonderful reviewers, the ones who review every chapter and the ones that drop in every now and again. So, for up to now, my thanks go to:**

**ElphabaROCKS**

**Werewolf-in-training**

**Beautifully Tragic Girl**

**Sorry to burst your bubble**

**Quill of Thoughts**

**Pearl sun**

**DEgreeniFYgravity**

**Webeta123**

**Leia Emberblaze**

**James Birdsong**

**Greengirl16**

**TwiaMoon**

**Vampiregirl1711**

**Wicked fan**

**Crazybeagle**

**I send my thanks out to all you wonderful people for taking the time to review and read my first Wicked and first third person story. **

**And guess what? We've still got two or three chapters to go!**

**So readers-who-don't review, break the habit and get your name mentioned over the next few chapters, where this list shall continue to be posted.**

**Thanks again,**

**Cherry x**


	18. For Good

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**Thanks for the reviews! And sorry for the wait. This chapter refused to be written.**

**Chapter 18-For Good**

Elphaba allowed Fiyero to lift her into his arms and carry her inside. Glinda fussed about how she was going to catch her death of cold and then the whole plan would have been for nothing, and about how she had better not have wrecked the dress because if disease didn't kill her than she would do it herself.

Elphaba just zoned out and concentrated on Fiyero's face as he looked worriedly down at her. She was shivering, but despite that, she was smiling widely.

She had done it, finally the city knew the truth. They weren't being lied to, not anymore. And that made her feel...happy.

Elphaba and Nizava made their way down the cold stone steps. By now, Elphaba was dry and in a different dress.

Nizava had decided to visit her sister and had been unable to face it alone. So she had asked Elphaba to join her. Elphaba had agreed and so here they were.

Elphaba swallowed her fear when they reached the base of the stairs. She couldn't keep her eyes away from the cell were she had been locked in next to Fiyero's. And as they passed it, she looked at the bloodstains on the floor. She squeezed her eyes shut and followed Nizava.

They passed the cell were she had thought that Fiyero was dead, but she rushed ahead of Nizava to get away from the place. Nizava had to jog to keep up with the green woman who, when Nizava found her, was leaning against a wall, breathing heavily. The memories had all come rushing back and her legs had nearly given out. She held one hand on her forehead and her form shook.

"I didn't realise how bad this would be for you," Nizava whispered. "You can leave if you want."

Elphaba opened her eyes to stare at Nizava as of she had proposed they turn the Emerald Palace upside down using magic. "No," she said firmly, "I've come this far, I might as well visit your sister with you."

Nizava nodded and Elphaba determinedly pushed herself off the wall and made her way down the corridor. Nizava hurried to keep up.

They soon reached the cell Anvesa was being kept in. It had an actual bed and a small sink and toilet. Anvesa was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Nizava stood in front of the bars, staring at her sister's angry expression. "Annie? Esa?" She called into the cell but received no acknowledgement. "Annie, please, talk to me."

Anvesa's head lifted off the pillow to stare at her sister, her fury directed at Nizava. "You chose to put me in here. Didn't you?" Nizava gave a shaky nod. "Well, then this is what you get."

Elphaba could stand watching no longer. "I'll have you know," she told the teenager in the cell, "That we could have had you executed. You took away someone's free will and had that person kill a public official. But we didn't because your sister didn't want us to. So you show her some gratitude!"

Anvesa glared at the older woman for a few seconds before allowing her head to drop back down on the pillow. Elphaba let out a huff of frustration. She glanced over to Nizava who was wiping her eyes.

Nizava returned Elphaba's look. "Come on," the teen said. "We are clearly not wanted here."

Nizava spun on her heel, not allowing her sister to see the tears glistening in her eyes. Elphaba hurried after the teenager, worry clear on her face. She soon caught up to the teenager.

Nizava had managed to get outside and was sitting on the grass, sobbing. Elphaba crouched awkwardly next to her and placed a hand on the shaking shoulder.

"I-I on-only wa-want-ted what w-was be-st for her," Nizava said through her tears.

Elphaba listened to what the teenager had to say, not saying anything in response. Elphaba wished she could go and punch some sense into Anvesa seemingly shallow head. But that would be the worst thing she could do with Nizava in the state she was in.

Elphaba coaxed Nizava to stand and together to two made their way back to the Palace rooms.

Elphaba led Nizava up the stairs leading to the teenager's corridor. Nizava gave her thanks and Elphaba started to leave.

"Wait," Nizava called. "I'll be leaving...soon."

Elphaba nodded.

"I need to get away...from it all," Nizava explained. "I think I'll move back into my castle near Quadling Country."

Elphaba was stunned when Nizava wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Thank you, for everything," Nizava whispered in her ear. "It was a pleasure meeting you. And I'm sorry for all the things I did to you."

Elphaba patted the girl's back, a soft smile on her face. "It's alright, Nizava. I hope to see you soon."

And with that Nizava went to pack her things and left the palace the next morning.

Elphaba stared at her reflection in the full length mirror. She turned on Glinda's command and the skirt of her dress twirled out slightly.

She was dressed in a black strapless gown, a full skirt at the bottom. There were countless numbers of underskirts and the corset Glinda had forced her friend into was very nearly cutting off her breathing. There was a black lace covering the whole thing, with flowers embroidered into it.

"Oh, Elphie," Glinda nearly squealed. "You look beautiful."

Elphaba smiled, one side of her mouth pulling up. She normally would have argued, but for once...she had to agree. She had helped Glinda design the dress so she would be happy with it.

In her hands was a bouquet of black and green roses. Glinda had dragged Elphaba to every flower shop in the Emerald City just so she could compare Elphaba's skin tone to the green roses they had. Eventually they found the ones that worked and bought them. Elphaba cast a spell on them that would keep them fresh and then turned a few of them black.

Her hair was done up in a loose bun with a few strands hanging down around her face. The strands were curled and Elphaba brushed one out of her face.

Elphaba swallowed and turned to face Glinda. Her blonde friend saw the panic in Elphaba's eyes. Glinda gripped her shoulders. "Elphaba," she said, "You have already had your wedding jitters, now get out there and knock 'em dead!"

Elphaba snorted. "With me, that's a likely possibility."

Glinda frowned at the green woman. "You mustn't think like that anymore, Elphie."

Elphaba let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, 'cause my whole life is gonna change and all because of you." Glinda laughed too, but then Elphaba turned serious. "I mean it, Glin. I wouldn't be who I am today, if not for you. Thank you for being my friend."

Glinda smiled and quickly wiped under her eyes. "Don't say stuff like that, you'll ruin our makeup."

Elphaba let out a strained chortle but soon the panic was back. "I don't know if I can do this," she muttered.

Glinda took her hand. "Elphaba, of all the things you have done, this has got to be one of the easiest. All you have to do is walk down the aisle, repeat after the minister and say I do." Glinda saw some of the fear leave Elphaba's eyes but some remained. "Elphie, you can do this. Believe in yourself. Fiyero will be there, waiting for you." Glinda glanced at the clock. "In fact he's waiting now. Come on," and then Glinda pushed Elphaba out of the room.

Glinda was Elphaba's only bridesmaid and Torrisa was being a flower girl but both of them were dressed in green. When Elphaba had commented on how having green at a wedding was meant to be unlucky, Glinda just said that they couldn't really do anything about it, what with the bride and all. Glinda was just lucky that Elphaba didn't hit her.

Elphaba let herself be pushed down the hallway with Torrisa trailing behind the two women. Glinda stopped in front of the door leading out to the private garden of the Emerald Palace and Elphaba gulped again. She took a few deep breaths as Glinda fussed around her, making sure everything was perfect.

Then the doors were opened for Torrisa to lead out, throwing flower petals. Then Elphaba made her entrance.

She stared at the people who had decided to come. There were hardly any humans in the seats, but practically all of them were full. In nearly every seat an Animal sat, smiling at her as she made her way towards Fiyero.

She noticed that Doctor Dillamond sat in the front row with his wife. He offered her a smile when she caught his eye and she smiled back.

It was then that her eyes locked on Fiyero. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a white shirt underneath. He smiled at her and took one of her hands in his own when she reached him.

The vows went with out a hitch and soon they were declared husband and wife...officially.

Fiyero scooped up Elphaba into his arms and kissed her. There were a few laughs in the audience as he spun her round.

"Put me down, Yero," Elphaba told him, smiling widely, "You can do this later. Threshold? Remember?"

Fiyero nodded and placed her feet back on the ground but kept an arm wrapped around her waist.

Glinda had planned the wedding perfectly so it flowed straight into the reception. Elphaba and Fiyero cut the cake, which to everyone's amusement was green with and scarecrow wearing a tall pointy hat on it, instead of a bride and groom. Elphaba threw her bouquet and a Horse caught it, blushed and looked at her boyfriend standing next to her.

Then it was time for the customary first dance. Elphaba stared up at Fiyero as they stood in the middle of the dance floor, waiting for the music to start. He smiled down back at her.

"I love you, Yero," she murmured as she let him lead her round the dance floor.

Fiyero pulled her into his chest and kissed her. "I love you more, Fae."

Elphaba playfully frowned at him. "Let's not start that again. We went on for nearly two hours doing that once."

Fiyero chuckled. "I remember."

And then the music ended but they stood on the dance floor, holding each other. Eventually, though, it became the time for speeches.

Glinda stood up first, delicately tapping a glass with a spoon. When that failed to get anyone's attention, she coughed. Then she coughed again. Eventually she gave up and screeched, "TIME FOR SPEECHES!"

Elphaba was a little late on covering her ears, and was nearly deafened as Glinda was stood right next to her. Her ears rang a little.

Now that everyone was staring at Glinda, the blonde began. "I have known Elphaba and Fiyero since university. Elphaba was to be my room mate, which at the time, seemed like the worst thing in the world." Glinda smiled at Elphaba who was sat down to her left. "But, it was because of that, I made a true friend. I wouldn't be the same person today if not for Elphie. And Fiyero...well, let's just say that Elphaba gave him some brains."

There were a few titters at Glinda's comment and Glinda smiled. But then she turned to face Elphaba and Fiyero again. "I wasn't very happy when I found out that Elphaba and Fiyero loved each other, but now I am so _so _happy for them to have found each other. I wish you a long and happy marriage."

There was a muttering of agreement from the crowd as Glinda sat down again. Doctor Dillamond gave a short speech about how he loved having Elphaba as a student and was glad that she and Fiyero had found each other. Fiyero went next talking about how Elphaba had changed his life. Then it was Elphaba's turn.

She swallowed her nerves and stood. "I want to say, firstly, thank you for coming. Next I want to thank Glinda for organising this whole thing. She was my first friend, the first person to really see beyond my sin colour and see me. Doctor Dillamond here was another of the special people able to see past my complexion. And Fiyero is the one to see the true me all of the time. Sometimes I hide my feelings, but he is able to find them, even when others can't. And I love him, with all my heart."

She got a few 'aw's from the audience as she sat down. Fiyero squeezed her hand and they shared a quick kiss.

The rest of the evening seemed to pass quickly for Elphaba. She and Fiyero danced and, just for fun, Glinda made her do the dance from the OzDust all those years ago. After that she danced with a few people until she was too tired to dance anymore.

Fiyero picked her up in his arms and carried her outside. Glinda followed with Torrisa to wave them off.

"I will care for Torrisa, don't you worry about it, Elphie," Glinda said as Elphaba leaned out of the carriage window to say goodbye.

Elphaba smiled sleepily. "Thanks again, Glin."

Glinda waved off the thanks, bade them goodbye and soon they were off. Elphaba dozed in Fiyero's arms. At one point when she was semi-awake she realised that she didn't know where she was going for her honeymoon.

"Yero," she murmured, "where are we going?"

Fiyero chuckled at her half unconscious question and squeezed her shoulders. "You'll see, Fae, you'll see."

They travelled for a few hours and eventually Elphaba fell into a deep sleep. She was highly annoyed when Fiyero started waking her up. "Look," he said, pointing out the window, "we're here."

Elphaba looked out the small pane of glass and gasped. It was Kiamo Ko. She felt a slight twinge of guilt at the sight. Fiyero noticed her facial expression.

"Glinda had it done up, it looks completely different. Except your tower, that's the same. Come on," Fiyero scooped her up and climbed out of the carriage. He carried her into the castle and up to a bedroom.

Let's just say, they had an active night.

Elphaba smiled when she saw the Emerald Palace come into view. She had enjoyed her few months at Kiamo Ko, despite the memories it held, but now she was eager to see Glinda and Torrisa again. They had stayed such a long time because they just couldn't bring themselves to leave.

She was surprised to hear a few people say, "Good morning, Lady Elphaba." Since when had she been 'Lady Elphaba'?

It was one of the first questions she put to Glinda after the excitement of seeing each other after a long time had worn off.

"That wasn't my doing," Glinda told her. "The citizens took it up all on their own."

Elphaba and Glinda shared news before Elphaba said she had some big news. Elphaba was wearing a jumper and skirt and she lifted the jumper so Glinda could see her stomach. Her stomach, where there was a bump.

"Oh, Elphie!" Glinda jumped up and hugged her best friend. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Glin." Elphaba smiled and nodded as Glinda started talking about baby showers and clothes and colour schemes for nurseries.

Once Glinda had stopped talking Elphaba went to be with Fiyero for a while. It seemed things were finally going to be fine.

**No, that ending is not foreshadowing. I couldn't describe their wedding night for one reason: I'm 14, talking about stuff like that make me feel a little disgusted and stuff. I can live with stuff like what I wrote, and I know about the facts, but let's be honest...it's an uncomfortable topic for a fourteen year old. So, live with what you're given.=D**

**The THANK YOU list:**

**ElphabaROCKS**

**Werewolf-in-training**

**Beautifully Tragic Girl**

**Sorry to burst your bubble**

**Quill of Thoughts**

**Pearl sun**

**DEgreeniFYgravity**

**Webeta123**

**Leia Emberblaze**

**James Birdsong**

**Greengirl16**

**TwiaMoon**

**Vampiregirl1711**

**Wicked fan**

**Crazybeagle**

**Whitemermage**

**Thank you everyone! Virtual baked goods are being virtually thrown your way.**

**Cherry x**

**(I will probably write a sequel to this. Just so you know. And right now I can't think of something to put as a epilogue, so the next chapter will probably be the last. But that means I can work on the sequel faster. So that's good.) **


	19. Finale Wicked

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**Thank you for all the reviews! This is it...the final chapter. It's been a joy writing this for you and I hope to have the sequel started soon.**

**Chapter 19-Finale "Wicked"**

Fiyero winced as Elphaba let out another scream of pain, squeezing his hand harder. And he had thought she couldn't possibly grip it any tighter.

"Fae, dear, I know your in pain-" Fiyero began, but Elphaba turned her head to face him.

"Fiyero, this is not simply pain," she spat out, "I am giving BIRTH! If you can't stay, then leave!"

Glinda chimed in then. "That may be a good idea, Fiyero. Go keep Torrisa company."

Fiyero glanced from Glinda the Elphaba and decided to take the blonde's advice. Glinda took his place and let Elphaba take her small hand.

"Come on, Elphie, you can do it," Glinda encouraged the green woman.

Elphaba glared at Glinda as she let out another groan of pain. "I...can't!"

Glinda shook the green hand she held in her own. "Yes, you can."

The midwife looked up. "You're doing well, dearie, now just push."

Elphaba did as instructed and suddenly the room was filled with the sound of a baby's cry. The midwife scooped up the infant as Elphaba flopped back on the pillows, breathing heavily.

"It's a girl," the midwife told the green woman. "Here," she placed the now clean baby in Elphaba's arms.

Elphaba gazed at the blue eyes which were staring into her own. The baby had her father's eyes. And her mother's skin and hair. Elphaba wasn't upset that her daughter was green, like herself. She was surprised at the lack of negative feeling but accepted that.

"Oh, Elphie," Glinda breathed. "What are you going to call her?"

Elphaba considered it for a moment. "Kalina. Her name is Kalina."

Glinda nodded once more. "I'll go get Fiyero and Torrisa."

Elphaba didn't watch as Glinda left the room. Her eyes were locked on her tiny daughter. She held out a finger for the newborn who grabbed it. Kalina looked up at her mother with her bright blue eyes, so full of innocence. Elphaba smiled.

She looked up at the sound of footsteps and smiled wider when Fiyero and Torrisa entered the room. Torrisa walked up to Elphaba and climbed onto the bed next to the green woman.

"Torrisa, this is Kalina. Your baby sister," Elphaba pulled her own finger away from Kalina's tiny fist and replaced it with Torrisa's.

Torrisa's eyebrows pulled together. "Mama?" Torrisa had recently stopped calling Elphaba 'Aba' and simply calling her 'Mama' instead.

"Yes, baby?" Elphaba asked, cradling Kalina in one arm and pulling Torrisa closer with the other.

"Will you love Kalina more than me because she's yours?"

Elphaba's mouth fell open at the young girl's question and she looked up to Glinda and Fiyero for help. They both shrugged.

"Torrisa," Elphaba began, "I will love you and Kalina exactly the same amount. You are mine as well, you just didn't come from me. You and Kalina will be sisters, in every sense of the word."

Torrisa seemed happy with this answer and smiled, looking closer at Kalina. "She's like you," she commented to Elphaba.

Elphaba nodded. "Yes, she is."

Torrisa nodded solemnly. "If anyone's nasty to her, I'll show 'em what for!"

Elphaba looked at Fiyero disapprovingly. He smiled sheepishly back at her.

Glinda stepped forward. "Okay, time to give Elphie some resting time. Everybody out," and she picked up Torrisa, handed her to Fiyero and shooed them both out the door. Then she dragged a crib over so it was next to Elphaba and placed Kalina in it.

"Make sure you get some sleep, Elphaba," Glinda said as she made sure the curtains were closed.

Elphaba and Fiyero now had their own private area of the Emerald Palace and Elphaba had given birth in a spare room prepared for the job.

Elphaba took Glinda's advice and finally managed to drift to sleep, her baby at her side.

*

A few months later, Anvesa gazed at the ceiling of her cell, frustrated beyond belief. She had tried to magic her way out of there, but Elphaba had put up wards around the cell, blocking her magic.

She heard a bang and she shot off the bed. She stood looking out of the cell bars at a woman. A woman who looked remarkably like a fish.

"Who are you?" Anvesa hissed through her teeth.

The woman flicked her wrist at one of the wards and it disappeared. "I am Madame Morrible. Ex-headmistress of Shiz university and ex-press secretary to the Wizard."

Anvesa stood to her full height, her hand on her hips. "What do you want with me?"

Morrible walked closer to the bars. "You are a child of both worlds, are you not?" Anvesa nodded. "I want to tap into that power of yours, dearie. And I think we have common enemies. Ladies Glinda the Good and Elphaba Triggular-Thropp."

Anvesa's eyes lit up as Morrible explained her plan. She quickly agreed to help Morrible and the fish like woman open the cell.

"Hold on tight, dearie, this may feel a little sickening," Morrible said as she cast a spell. There was a gust of wind and then they were gone.

*

"What do you mean they're gone?!" Elphaba shouted when Glinda finally managed to stammer out about Anvesa and Morrible's disappearance.

"Fae, you have to calm down," Fiyero said, rubbing circles with his thumb on the back of Elphaba's hand.

Elphaba took a deep breath and let it whoosh out. "I am calm," she said through her teeth. "Now, how did this happen?"

Glinda told them about how Morrible had been able to knock the guards unconscious and steal some keys. Once she herself was free, she freed Anvesa.

Elphaba's gaze fell on her three month of daughter who was taking a nap in a crib nearby. Kalina's green seemed to have toned down a little and now she was a few shades lighter than Elphaba but it seemed to have stopped lightening. Torrisa was playing with a doll on the floor and not taking any notice of the adult's conversation.

Elphaba vowed to protect her daughters no matter what. What ever it took, her babies would be safe.

Elphaba lent back in Fiyero's embrace and felt him kiss her hair. This was going to be interesting.

**So, not really to happy with the ending line, but...that's what it is. We have reached to end of 'My Own Worst Enemy'. I am nearly welling up. Thanks again to:**

**ElphabaROCKS**

**Werewolf-in-training**

**Beautifully Tragic Girl**

**Sorry to burst your bubble**

**Quill of Thoughts**

**Pearl sun**

**DEgreeniFYgravity**

**Webeta123**

**Leia Emberblaze**

**James Birdsong**

**Greengirl16**

**TwiaMoon**

**Vampiregirl1711**

**Wicked fan**

**Crazybeagle**

**Whitemermage**

**Thank you to the lovely people above! Look out for the sequel, 'No Regrets'. Title may be subject to change because, let's face it, I'm rubbish at naming things. Thanks for all the support in writing this, and I hope to get the sequel out soon.**

**Cherry x**


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